Why Is She Doing This?
by kensi54382
Summary: After what seemed to be just harsh teasing, Tony ends up in a coma. Kate's behind all of it, but why? Tony-centric, with lots of Papa Gibbs.
1. The Beginning

Tony felt horrible. He had been having stomach pain for nearly a week now, and he couldn't figure out where it had come from. He knew it couldn't be appendicitis- he had had his appendix removed shortly after starting at NCIS when he had ended up in hospital after a suspect had beaten him to within an inch of his life. He just had a check-up the month before, and his doctor had said that he was healthy and doing a great job in staying fit.

"DiNozzo, are you listening?" Gibbs growled in his ear.

Tony looked up and shook his head. "Sorry, boss. What did you say?"

"Nothing. Let's go, you're with me for training today."

"What are we doing?"

"Boxing bags. You can start."

Tony quickly put his gloves on and headed over to the line of punching bags. He could sense Gibbs behind him for a moment as he decided on his course of action, then saw his boss move to steady the bag for him.

"Thanks, boss," said Tony as he got into position.

Gibbs just nodded. He was watching Tony with concern. All week, the younger agent had seemed off, completely unlike himself. At first, it hadn't been too much of a problem, but after two days, he had started acting oddly. The icing on the cake had been when Tony had refused to eat any pizza the night before. Gibbs had offered to order him something different, but Tony had said he wasn't hungry and that he would get something later. He didn't eat at all, and he had been there all night long with Gibbs and Kate. It was getting to the point where Gibbs wasn't sure who Tony was anymore.

"DiNozzo, throw in some kicks every now and then," Gibbs advised as he readjusted his position behind the bag.

Tony didn't acknowledge Gibbs, but after a few more punches, he kicked the bag. He was struggling to keep himself on his feet, which was strange, and was sweating more than he would normally after a relatively easy workout. He threw in a couple more kicks, then lost his balance. He fell hard, hitting the ground beneath him with an audible thud.

"DiNozzo! Tony? Hey, are you alright?"

Tony looked up to find Gibbs kneeling over him, worry clearly etched on his face. With a smile, he sat up and attempted to nod.

"Tony, take it easy. That was a hard fall," said Gibbs. He lifted Tony up and sat him against the wall. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I must have slipped. I'm fine boss." In truth, Tony wasn't fine. His head was sore and his vision was blurred. He wasn't going to admit that to Gibbs though.

"I'll get you some water. Stay there." Gibbs left and returned a minute later with Tony's water bottle. "Here. You're done for the day." Gibbs handed the bottle over and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from Tony's face. He took off Tony's boxing gloves and threw them to the side, then quickly grabbed Tony's hand.

"Boss? What are you doing?" Tony asked after drinking water.

"Making sure you're alright." Actually, Gibbs was checking Tony's pulse. He just didn't want Tony to know that, so he made sure that he pretended to check Tony's hands for injuries too.

"I'm fine." Tony felt slightly better, but he knew he was far from fine.

"Okay," Gibbs said finally. "Go and shower, we'll be up in the bull pen in ten minutes."

Tony slowly got up and headed out of the gym.

* * *

Half an hour later, the three agents were at their desks, working on a cold case. The room was warm, or at least Tony thought it was, and he was getting overheated. He had already taken his jacket off and rolled his sleeves up, but it wasn't helping.

"Boss, I'm going for coffee. Want anything?" Tony asked.

"Get me a coffee," said Gibbs without looking up.

"Kate? Want anything?"

"A coffee sounds good." Kate thanked Tony as he passed by her.

A few minutes later, Tony was outside in the cool air. The breeze, while making most people cold, was helping him feel better. For the moment, anyway. As Tony headed back to the NCIS building with the three coffees, he started feeling lightheaded and sick. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, the coffees spilling out of their cups beside him. He heard people running towards him, but his vision had blurred again, so he couldn't make them out.

"DiNozzo? DiNozzo!"

The voice was muffled, but Tony could easily tell that it was Gibbs. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"Gibbs," Tony mumbled.

"Tony, stay with me, alright? An ambulance is on the way, but I want you to stay awake."

"Sorry, Gibbs. The coffee is gone," Tony said softly as his eyes slowly closed.

"Forget the coffee, Tony. Just keep your eyes open. Focus on me, talk to me. What was the last movie you watched?" Gibbs knew Tony could never resist talking about a movie. He could talk for hours on end.

"Movie?"

"Yeah, Tony. What movie?"

"Uh, Finding Nemo."

"That cartoon movie about a lost fish?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Took my neighbour's kid to see it on Saturday."

"Since when do you spend time with kids?"

"Not sure." Tony's eyes closed again.

"DiNozzo, open your eyes. Can you hear the sirens? The ambulance is nearly here."

"Tired…"

"I know. You can sleep later. Tell me about Finding Nemo. Is it a good movie?"

"Yeah. Funny."

"Funny, how?"

"Dory… she's forgetful."

"That isn't funny, Tony."

"It is. For a fish."

"Do you think it's something I should see?" Gibbs was grasping at straws now. Tony wasn't giving him anything to work with.

"You would like it too. Marlin is like you."

"How?"

"He's grumpy." Tony grinned, but it was an odd look. The grin seemed lopsided and somewhat dopey.

"Thanks, DiNozzo." Gibbs smiled. "Just stay awake. Tell me more about my grumpy counterpart."

"He's a clownfish." Tony forced his eyes open as the sirens got closer. "Don't want to go to hospital, boss."

"You don't have a choice, Tony. You aren't well, I'm sure of it."

"Just tired."

"This is more than being tired. You will let the medics look after you. I will be right next to you."

"Promise?"

"I promise." While most people saw Gibbs as frightening and mean, Tony had always seen him as a friend and confidante. Gibbs knew a lot about Tony, more than he had ever admitted out loud, and he had vowed before Tony had even started working on his team to protect the younger man at all costs. He and Tony knew each other too well sometimes, but it made for a better relationship.

"Agent Gibbs, we need you to move please," said one of the medics.

Gibbs moved out of the way, but stayed where Tony could see him.

"Agent DiNozzo, can you try sitting up please?"

Tony nodded. He pulled himself upright, but was immediately dizzy and fell backwards. The female medic caught him and gently laid him on the ground again.

"Okay, that's alright. Let's get you checked out, then we'll take you to the hospital," she soothed, gently stroking his hair. "You're going to be fine."

"I want to sleep," whispered Tony.

"I know, but you need to wait, alright? Can you do that for me?"

"Okay. What's your name?"

"Amelia. What can I call you?"

"Tony. Amelia is a pretty name."

Gibbs snorted beside Tony, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Thank you." Amelia glanced at Gibbs curiously. "Tony is a nice name too."

Tony grinned the odd grin again. He hadn't noticed the second medic working until an IV needle was put into his left arm. Immediately, Tony felt fear creeping up on him and he pulled his arm away from the medic.

"Okay, Tony, it's alright," said Amelia softly. She held his arm still so that the male medic could finish connecting the IV. "You're okay. It's just a needle, that's all."

Tony shook his head. "Don't…" he begged.

Gibbs took Tony's right hand and squeezed it to get his agent's attention. "Tony, don't worry. It's only a needle. They know what they're doing, and they won't hurt you." He looked at Amelia. "Needles scare him. He's had quite a number of bad experiences with them."

Amelia nodded. "We'll let the doctor know when we reach the hospital. They'll still need to use needles, but they might be able to numb the area or give him a sedative."

"I want to ride with him."

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs, but he's an adult. You can't come in the ambulance," the male medic said.

"Gibbs? Don't leave me. Don't let them take me," said Tony, and Gibbs swore he could see tears in his agent's eyes.

"I'm not leaving, Tony. I promise." Gibbs held Tony's hand tightly, trying reassure him. "Got it? I'm not leaving him alone," Gibbs said to the medics.

"Of course," said Amelia, who was the senior of the two partners. "You can ride in back with me."

"Amelia…"

"No arguments, Jason. Tony is scared. If we don't let Agent Gibbs come, we aren't going to get Tony to cooperate with us. Agent Gibbs is coming, end of story." Amelia sighed. She didn't like Jason- he was always strict and rude to people, patients included, and he never let people come in the ambulance to calm down the patient. It made her job much harder. "We need to go. Tony, Agent Gibbs is right here, okay? He's coming with us, and I promise he will stay with you."

Tony turned his watery eyes on Amelia. "Are you staying too?"

"Of course I am. How are you going to get to the hospital without me?"

A grin spread across Tony's face. "Thank you."


	2. A Check-Up and the Truth

Tony was falling asleep by the time he got to the hospital. He woke up properly, however, when he saw the doctor that was waiting for him. She was pretty and around his age, and she had a kind smile on her face. A sense of safety filled Tony as he was wheeled towards the doctor.

"Hi, Agent DiNozzo, I'm Doctor Swan. I prefer to be called by my name though, so you are more than welcome to call me Edith."

"I'm Tony."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Tony, although it would be better if you weren't currently a patient in hospital. How about we get you checked out and see if we can't send you home instead of keeping you here?"

Tony nodded enthusiastically. "I like that idea."

"So do I." Edith indicated an empty exam room. "Take him in there, I'll be right in."

Tony watched Edith as he was wheeled away, only stopping when turning his head meant that his neck would snap. He really liked this woman.

"DiNozzo, would you stop ogling the poor woman? She's about to check you out, maybe see a little more than you'd want. Be professional." Gibbs couldn't hide his smile though. As long as Tony was busy staring at a woman, he was awake and somewhat healthy.

A few minutes passed, and then Edith came into the room, carrying a file.

"What's that?" Tony asked, staring at the file with apprehension.

"Your medical file. I had a quick glance at it, you had quite extensive surgery a couple of years ago. Have you had any problems related to that since?"

"No."

"Good." Edith put the file down. "Let's get this exam over with, shall we?"

"Yes, please."

After shooing away everyone in the room, Gibbs included, Edith said, "okay. Let's get a blood test done first."

Tony shook his head. "I'd rather not."

"Okay. Why?"

"I don't like needles."

"Not many people do, Tony."

"Yeah, but I really don't like them. I don't want any needles."

Edith nodded. She gave Tony a smile. "Then we won't do any after we get some blood. I need to check you, Tony, and that means a blood test."

"Is there any other way to do a blood test?" Tony asked pleadingly.

"No." Edith softened a little as Tony started to shake in fear. "Can you tell me why you don't want a needle?"

"It's stupid."

"No, it's not. Tell me."

"Bad things have happened with needles."

"Like what?"

"People have poisoned me with them, and someone stabbed me with a needle once. When I was little, my dad would force me to have needles that weren't necessary, and he would make sure that it hurt."

"That's horrible. I'll tell you what- I promise to not hurt you or do anything unnecessary while I examine you, and if I do, you can tell me off. How does that sound?"

"Okay, I guess. I still don't want you to do a blood test."

"Would it be easier if I get Agent Gibbs to stay with you while I do the blood test?"

Tony nodded.

"Alright. I'll be back in a moment." Edith walked out, returning just a few minutes later with Gibbs.

* * *

Gibbs was sitting in the ER waiting room when Edith came over to him. It was a surprise.

"Are you finished already?" Gibbs asked.

"No. Tony's having some trouble calming himself down enough to let me do a blood test. I was hoping you could help me."

"Sure." Gibbs stood and followed the doctor into the exam room. He found Tony sitting on the bed, arms around his knees, despite the monitor leads and IV tube that were in the way. Stepping around to face him, Gibbs smiled and said, "Tony, I'm here, okay?"

"I don't want any needles," said Tony.

"I know, but a blood test needs to be done. Give me your hand."

Tony put his left hand in Gibbs' right one. "Why?"

"Because, when the pain gets bad, you can squeeze my hand and let some of the pain disappear, alright?"

"Okay." Tony put his legs down and leaned back against the pillows, never letting go of his boss' hand.

Edith gave Tony a smile as she gently cleaned his right elbow with an alcohol swab. "Okay, time to put the needle in. Tony, I'm going to get you to close your eyes until I tell you to open them. I promise that I will be as quick as possible. You'll feel a little pinch when I put the needle in, but then you won't feel anything until I take the needle out. Just try and relax for me, and if something hurts you too much, tell me."

Tony nodded, his eyes already shut tight. He was clinging to Gibbs, but Edith was gentle. She quickly put the needle in without hurting him, and not even a minute later, she had taken the needle out.

"Open your eyes, Tony. I'm done," said Edith.

Tony opened his eyes. Edith and Gibbs were both smiling at him.

"You did a great job, Tony," said Edith happily. "You were worried for nothing."

"No more needles?"

"No more needles. Can we let Agent Gibbs go back to the waiting room now?"

Tony nodded. He realised then that he was still clinging to his boss, so he let go and gave Gibbs a smile that conveyed pure innocence.

"Tony, you let the doctor do her job. You don't need to be afraid, okay? I watched her do that blood test, and she's the most gentle person I have ever met. She's not going to hurt you," Gibbs said before leaving.

Tony's smile faded once Gibbs left the room. "I want to go home."

"As soon as I finish checking you, and I get your test results back, we can decide what to do," said Edith as she made a note in Tony's file.

"What are you writing?"

"I'm making a note about your fear of needles. I don't know why it's not in here already, but it needs to be known otherwise doctors might not understand why you shy away. Do you want to read your file while I check you?"

"I can do that?"

"Of course. We don't normally let people read them because we tell them the same things we put in, but it'll put your mind at ease, and there's really no harm in reading it." Edith handed the file to Tony. "Read it to your heart's content. I'm going to start checking you now."

"Okay." Tony could feel Edith's stethoscope on his right arm, directly beneath the blood pressure cuff, but he didn't flinch or move away. It wasn't painful, and, apart from needles, he had no fears of doctors or being tested.

"Your blood pressure is good, it's certainly come back down from what it was in the ambulance. Were you feeling anxious with the medics?"

"I don't think so. More just tired."

"Okay." Edith moved the stethoscope to Tony's chest, making sure she wasn't in the way of the file Tony was still looking through. She gently moved the stethoscope around Tony's chest, listening to his heart. Then she glanced at the monitor. "Your heartbeat is sounding good. It's steady and in a normal rhythm. Let's listen to your lungs. Can you lean forward for me?"

Tony leaned himself forward slightly and took a few deep breaths while Edith listened to his lungs.

"Sounding good. You can lay back again." Edith put her stethoscope down and placed her fingers against Tony's neck. "Your pulse is steady and not too fast. It's not the best, but it's alright."

"Is that bad?"

"If it stays that way, then, yeah it is bad. But, you're doing well at the moment, so I'm not concerned. How tall are you?"

Tony shrugged. "Six-one, I think. That's what I was a month ago at my physical."

"Do you know how much you weigh?"

"No."

"What was it at your last physical?"

"Uh, I don't know. I don't remember what we said."

"Okay. We'll need to get you weighed, because I think I know the problem. Let's get you standing up."

Tony let Edith help him up onto his feet. He followed her to a scale.

"Now, I want you to step up onto the scale for me. Can you do that on your own?"

"I think so." Tony lifted his foot up, but he was unsteady and wobbled.

"Alright, it's okay. I've got you." Edith carefully helped Tony onto the scale and then wrote down the number it showed. "140 pounds."

"Is that good?"

Edith helped Tony off the scale and back to the bed. "No. That's underweight for your height. You should be around 144 to 160 pounds. Have you been trying to lose weight?"

"No."

"Okay." Edith adjusted the monitor cords and IV tube so that they weren't bunched up underneath Tony. "Here's the problem, Tony. You have lost enough weight that it's making you sick. The reason isn't my business, and I won't push you to tell me, but something needs to change before you end up in here for treatment. Four pounds under the normal weight is not a big issue, but it can easily become one. When you had your physical, was your weight normal?"

"Yes."

"So, it's happened in less than a month, which would explain what you're experiencing now. Being exhausted is a common effect of rapid weight loss. You told the paramedics that you've been having stomach pain recently, which is another symptom of being underweight. Have you been eating properly?"

"Uh, not really. I haven't had breakfast in a week, and I haven't had lunch either, really. I've been running off coffee."

"It's no wonder you've lost so much weight in such a short period of time. Whatever it is that has been bothering you needs to be dealt with. Preferably before you get sick."

"I was told my weight was normal," said Tony quietly. "But she was making fun of me being too fat."

Edith frowned. She didn't know what Tony was talking about, but it was evidently the reason behind his weight loss. "Tony, were you comfortable with yourself before that was said?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you feel that you needed to lose weight?"

"I didn't. I was upset, hurt. I wanted the teasing to stop. I didn't mean to do this, it kind of just happened."

"I understand that. You need to start eating properly again so you can put the four pounds back on, maybe even a little more than that. Anyone that says anything to you can learn to be quiet and keep to themselves, because making fun of another person is wrong."

"I know." Tony sighed. "Can I go home now?"

"Let me check on the blood test results. If they're ready, I'll give them to you, otherwise I'll just call when I get them. I'll let Agent Gibbs back in to sit with you. This seems like something you should be discussing with him."

Tony nodded. Evidently, Edith could see their relationship was more than what met the eye.

"Let's get these monitors off and take out that IV first." Edith made quick work of removing Tony from the monitors, then slowly and gently took out the IV needle. She cleaned the needle mark with cotton and put a band-aid over it, then left with a promise to return quickly.

* * *

"Hey, Tony," said Gibbs five minutes after Edith had left. "The doc says you're alright."

"Yeah."

Tony sounded dejected to Gibbs, so he sat down on the bed with Tony. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"I lost four pounds in less than a month without even trying."

"Okay. Is that good?"

"No. I was just above the normal weight for my height and age before I lost anything."

"Alright. We'll fix it. We can get some pizza later."

"Yeah, okay."

"Tony, what happened? What made you lose the weight?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. Last week, Kate wanted to know what I was eating, so I offered one of my donuts to her. She said that she wasn't interested because she was watching her figure and liked her current weight, so I left it alone and went to my desk. Then she made a stupid joke about me being free to eat donuts all I wanted if I was comfortable gaining weight. It hurt, and she just laughed about it."

"I'll talk to her. She probably never meant for you to take it seriously, but it was still mean and wrong. Don't worry about it. Let's get you back on track, and I'll deal with Kate."

"Thank you, Gibbs."

Gibbs put his arm around Tony and pulled the younger man that had become a surrogate son towards him, allowing Tony to put his head onto Gibbs' shoulder and close his eyes for a while.

"You're welcome," Gibbs said softly.


	3. Papa Gibbs

Gibbs had taken Tony home after getting the results of Tony's blood test and made sure the younger man went straight to bed. He was now in the middle of ordering pizza for the two of them from Tony's favourite pizza parlour when the kitchen door opened and a groggy looking Tony stumbled in, wearing only his singlet and a pair of pants Gibbs had found on a chair in the ensuite bathroom.

"Boss?" Tony asked after a yawn.

"Hey, you get enough sleep for now?"

"I think so. What are you doing?"

"Ordering us some pizza. I know I had some recently, but you didn't and I think you might be about due for one."

"Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese?"

"Of course. What else would I get you?"

Tony grinned, and Gibbs was glad to see that it was a normal grin again. "You are the best!"

"Thanks. Now, are you coming to work with me tomorrow? Or do I need to let Morrow know that you'll be taking a couple of days off?"

"I'll be there. I might need to visit with Ducky before I do any field work though."

"Good idea. You can visit with him in the morning while I have a chat with Kate."

Tony nodded. He sat down at the table with Gibbs. "Thank you for coming with me today. I know I probably sounded pretty stupid."

"Not at all. You sounded like a human, Tony. One that needed some comfort. It's normal to need help every once in a while."

"Why are you being so kind to me?"

"Because you are my friend."

Tony smiled. He loved being around Gibbs, even when the older man was being a grump. "Did I tell you that you and a fish in Finding Nemo are both grumpy, by any chance?"

"You did. You were pretty out of it at the time."

"It's true, you know? Marlin is a grump, like you most of the time. But, it's why I love you."

"Thank you," Gibbs said sarcastically as the doorbell rang and he went to pay for their dinner.

* * *

The next morning, Tony followed Gibbs into the bull pen. He dropped his bag at his desk and headed straight to autopsy. Ducky was waiting for him.

"Hello, Anthony. I trust you are feeling better this morning?" Ducky asked as Tony took a seat on one of the autopsy tables.

"I am, Ducky. I was cleared for field work by the doctor yesterday, but I just want to be sure before I go off."

"I understand. May I ask what the doctor said to you yesterday? Jethro gave me a quick history, but that was all."

"Basically, I need to gain weight again. I'm four pounds underweight, and it isn't a big problem yet, but the doctor did say that it can become an issue if I'm not careful."

"So, you need to put four pounds on?"

"At the least. She told me that it would be alright if I put a little extra on top of that, so long as it doesn't put me above 160 pounds."

"Okay. Well, I think that you should be fine to go into the field, but I would suggest being a little careful with strenuous activity for a little while. I know that sometimes you chase suspects, and you can do that, but I would like to keep an eye on you for the next few weeks."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, pretty much just checking your weight every couple of days. It'll only take a couple of minutes to do, and we can do it when you get to work or before you leave. Nobody needs to know that you are doing it, not even Jethro."

"I don't mind Gibbs knowing. He is probably my biggest support anyway."

"Well then, how about we do a quick check of your weight now, and then I'll call Jethro and fill him in."

Tony nodded. He got off the table and slipped his shoes off, then stepped onto Ducky's scale.

"I see that you are already putting some extra weight on. You are at 141 pounds."

"That's a whole extra pound in less than a day, Ducky."

"It is easier to put weight on than it is to lose weight. You can step down."

Tony put his shoes back on and sat on the table again. Ducky came over and did a quick check of his vital signs, then sent him on his way.

* * *

"Kate, I need a word," said Gibbs once Tony was gone again.

"Of course, Gibbs. How's Tony doing?" Kate asked, oblivious to the problem that had caused Tony's collapse the day before.

"Not here. Come with me." Gibbs led Kate to the elevator and stepped in, flicking the emergency switch. "We need to discuss something. You are to listen to what I say, then you can talk. Understood?"

"What's going on? I saw Tony this morning, so he must be alright."

"Tony's not alright, Kate. Now, listen to me, and do not interrupt." Gibbs waited until Kate looked at him. "Tony is damn lucky his body stopped working properly when it did. He has lost four pounds in the last week without trying. If he isn't careful, he'll lose more weight and end up needing hospital treatment. You are not to mention anything to anyone, especially not Tony, ever. Is that understood?"

"Yes, but…"

"I'm not finished. Tony lost the weight because he hasn't been eating properly, if he even eats at all. He hasn't been looking after himself. Do you know why that is? It's because you were mean to him, Kate. You were insensitive, and maybe you didn't realise what you were saying at the time, but you are damn well going to know it now. All Tony did was offer you a donut, because that's the type of person he is- a caring, friendly, giving person. And what did you do in response?"

"I didn't say anything. I just said I wasn't interested because I didn't want to gain weight."

"And you told him that he could keep eating fattening foods because he was 'comfortable' with his weight going up."

"So?"

Gibbs sighed. Kate wasn't getting it. "You basically called him fat, Kate. You know that he has low self-esteem and lacks any confidence when it comes to his appearance. I warned you when you started here that you were to be careful around Tony, to never comment on his appearance if he didn't look like he normally does. I told you to always watch what you say to him. You called him fat, maybe not in those words, but you hurt him. You made him feel uncomfortable. You made him want to look better, just like I told you he would. You know him well enough now to know when something will sound like a joke to him, and that was not a joke. I don't care if you meant it as a joke, that is a topic you should never poke fun at. Do you understand me now?"

Kate stood there, shocked. Thinking back to the previous week, she realised that Gibbs was right. She had called Tony fat, though she hadn't meant to. It had just come out. She had wanted to annoy her partner just like he always did to her.

"I shouldn't have said it, okay. I didn't mean anything by it. Besides, Tony always makes fun of me…"

"Kate! Tony never picks on your appearance, never calls you anything other than pretty. And he never will. A joke is a joke, and Tony has had to learn the hard way that picking on someone's looks or appearance is hurtful. He had enough of that growing up, he had enough of that as a cop in Baltimore, Peoria and Philadelphia. Why would you make things worse? Don't try and blame that kind, forgiving man for your mistake."

"I need to apologise to him."

"You are not going to talk about it with him. He's feeling better this morning, and I don't want to end up taking him home tonight to talk things through again. If Tony brings up the subject, and don't expect him to, then you can apologise. Otherwise, you are to work with him and leave any personal talk out of it."

"Leave out personal talk? Are you kidding? Tony always talks about his personal life, the girls he dates, you know that. How am I going to ignore him? He's annoying when he doesn't get any answers!"

Gibbs was getting angry. He hated when people hurt Tony. He was about to reprimand Kate when he heard a suspiciously loud sniffle from outside the elevator. With a glare aimed at Kate, Gibbs flicked the emergency switch and, as soon as the doors opened, he hurried to the men's room.

* * *

Tony had been going to knock on the elevator doors to let Gibbs know they had gotten a case when he heard Kate saying that he was annoying and couldn't shut up about his personal life. He felt hurt by the comment, having thought that Kate liked him. So, after unsuccessfully trying to hide a sniffle before he started crying, Tony rushed off to the bathroom and locked himself into one of the stalls. He had just managed to calm down and stop crying when the door to the bathroom opened and footsteps stopped outside his hiding place.

"DiNozzo, I know you're in there. Come out, please," said Gibbs.

Tony smiled slightly. He really needed to find a new hiding place. After a minute to compose himself, Tony unlocked the door and stepped out into the otherwise empty bathroom. Gibbs was leaning against the sinks, waiting for Tony to speak.

"Tell me I didn't hear that correctly," Tony said quietly, knowing full well that he hadn't made a mistake.

"Sorry, I can't lie."

"Why? I thought Kate liked me. I could understand that she didn't mean to hurt me with the joke about my weight, but that was just hurtful. She meant it."

"I'll deal with her later. Right now, you are my concern. I don't want you upset, and you know that."

"It's too late," laughed Tony. "She's made it clear how she feels about me. But don't worry, boss, I won't let it affect my work. If she hates listening to me, then I won't talk. I'll be as quiet as a mouse, and only speak if it's necessary. Don't worry about me, it isn't the first time I've heard something like that. I'll be fine." Tony stepped around Gibbs to wash his face. He knew that Gibbs would be more concerned with that statement than with him crying, but he didn't care right then. He wanted nothing more than to get out of there, do his job, and go home. "Oh, right. We have a case, that's what I was going to tell you through the elevator doors. Dead petty officer in Anacostia."

"Tony…" Gibbs tried, but Tony was already out the door.


	4. Chats with the ME

Gibbs had driven to Anacostia in silence. For once, the car was quiet, but it was unnerving. Tony wasn't giving a running commentary like normal, he wasn't even talking. Kate had spoken only long enough to provide case details, then gone back to looking out the window. Now they were at the scene, and Gibbs had sent the two agents off to do different tasks, well away from each other, while he spoke to witnesses.

"And, do you think you could work with a sketch artist to give us a face?" Gibbs asked a young woman.

"Sure. When you're ready, I'll be there."

Gibbs nodded. He handed her his card and thanked her. After telling her he would be in touch, he turned to see how Tony was doing. He had asked his senior field agent to help Ducky with the body, since Gerald was out sick, and because he knew that Tony would talk to Ducky eventually. It looked as though he had been right- Tony was chatting with Ducky. It wasn't the normal, light-hearted chats they usually had, but it was better than silence. He decided to leave them be for now, and headed over to his next witness.

* * *

Tony knew Gibbs had given him the task of helping Ducky and photographing the dead body so that he could calm down and talk about the problem with Ducky. He didn't mind, he knew that Gibbs was just looking out for him.

"Anthony, could you help me roll the body over, please?" Ducky asked.

"Sure." Tony pushed the dead body over onto its side and held it there. "So, Ducky, maybe, when we get back and after you do the autopsy, we could, I don't know, talk?"

"Of course we can. You can join me during the autopsy if you like. I know you aren't squeamish, and I could use the extra hands."

Tony grimaced. "I think I'm good, Duck. Thanks for the offer."

"If you change your mind, you know where I'll be. Now, what would you be interested in talking about?"

"You know what I want to talk about already."

"Maybe. But, please, tell me."

Tony smiled. "I want to discuss something that happened this morning."

"I heard about that. Jethro is quite worried about you."

"He is. I feel bad for ignoring him and for being rude earlier."

"He isn't upset with you, Anthony. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course I do. I just wish I knew why she said it. Do I really come across as that annoying, Ducky?"

"Not to me, but then I guess I cannot talk. People tend to get annoyed with me when I tell stories."

Tony grinned. "I love your stories, Ducky."

"I know you do. You always want to know the ending." Ducky smiled as they rolled the body back down.

Tony was silent for a few minutes as Ducky finished off his initial exam. He helped get the body into the bag and onto the stretcher.

"Would you like to come back to NCIS with me, Anthony?" Ducky asked.

"I should finish the scene."

"DiNozzo, go with Ducky. I want to know what happened to that petty officer when I get back," called Gibbs.

Tony nodded. "Yes, boss," he called back automatically, even though he had a sneaking suspicion that Gibbs had overheard Ducky's offer. "I guess I am coming with you, Duck."

* * *

Tony climbed out of the ME's van at NCIS. Ducky had just finished telling him a story about the first time he met Gibbs, and Tony was thinking it over. Gibbs hadn't changed much by the sounds of it.

"Anthony, are you coming?" Ducky called, and Tony realised that he hadn't seen the older man pass him with the body.

"Yes, coming!" Tony rushed over to the elevator and just managed to catch it before the doors closed.

* * *

Once they were in autopsy, Tony sighed. He loved working with Ducky, but not when a body was about to be chopped up.

"Is there anything you need help with, other than the body?" Tony asked.

"Well, if you are interested, Anthony, I could use some help with inventory. I need to know what I need to be replacing so I can do that this weekend."

"I'm on it!" Tony disappeared into the storage room, where he knew Ducky kept his extra equipment and products. He had a pen in his hand, and started to write down what Ducky was low on.

* * *

An hour later, Tony was finishing up with the inventory. He heard the door opening and footsteps entering autopsy, so he listened carefully to figure out who it was.

"Hi, Duck."

That was Gibbs. Tony let out a sigh of relief and went back to his task.

* * *

"Jethro, I've just finished the autopsy. Our petty officer here died from being strangled. His hyoid is snapped." Ducky handed over a report.

"Were there other injuries?"

"He was beaten before being killed. He has bruising over most of his upper body. I've taken some blood for Abigail to test for drugs and illnesses. She should be testing it now."

"Thank you. Now, where is Tony?"

Ducky gestured towards his storage room. "Helping me take stock of my inventory. He didn't want to help with the autopsy."

"Can't blame him for that one, Duck. I need to do a few things, so would it be alright if he stays down here for now?"

"Anthony is always welcome to stay with me. There is plenty of work for him to do. Besides, I'm sure that Abigail will happily take him in if he gets bored here."

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs headed over to the storage room. He reached to open the door at the same time that Tony opened it from the other side.

"Hi boss," said Tony.

"Tony, I want you to stay with Ducky today. If you get bored, go see Abby. Alright?"

"I don't have to go into the bull pen?" Tony asked, hope evident in his voice.

"No. I need you happy, Tony. Stay down here today. I'll call if I need you."

Tony smiled and hugged Gibbs. "Thank you!"

Gibbs couldn't help smiling as he watched his agent bouncing around with joy. He hadn't seen Tony so happy in a very long time.


	5. Making Trouble

**A/N: This story is completely AU. It is partially based on a first season episode in the first few chapters, but then goes AU for the rest of the story.**

 **I know Kate wasn't this cruel, but since she was my least favourite character, in this story, she is not a nice person. That being said, there is a reason behind the madness, and Kate's behaviour will be explained at a later stage.**

* * *

Gibbs stepped into the conference room. He had made sure that Kate was in there before going down to see Ducky. He was pissed, and Kate knew it, which had made it easier for Gibbs to keep her there.

"Finally, Gibbs. What is going on?" Kate demanded.

"You can sit down and shut up. You are in so much trouble, Agent Todd."

"For what?"

"Seriously? You need to ask that question? You picked on Tony until he felt bad enough about himself to go and do something dangerous and stupid. Then you decided that you would continue being mean and hurtful knowing that he would eventually hear you or hear about what you said. Do you know where I found him this morning? In the men's room, crying. He told me that he thought you liked him and that the two of you were friends. I had to send him back here with Ducky so that he wouldn't feel like an outsider at the scene with the way you kept looking at him. Do you think that I want to do that? Do you think I like sending my senior field agent away from the job he loves? You and I have nowhere near the amount or type of history I have with Tony, and you never will. Don't make me choose who to have transferred to another team, because I can tell you now that Tony won't be going anywhere."

"You can't have favourites, Gibbs."

"I can and I do. Tony will always be my favourite agent, no matter what. If you have a problem, go and see the director." Gibbs turned to leave, then stopped. "And, Agent Todd, if I find out that you have so much as given Tony a dirty look, you'll be off my team before you can blink your eyes." With that, Gibbs stormed out to get some air.

* * *

"Agent Todd, is there something I can help you with?" asked Morrow.

Kate nodded. "I need to talk about something, sir."

"Have a seat. Is there a problem I don't know about?"

"Agent Gibbs is the problem. Actually, it's more DiNozzo than Gibbs, but Gibbs is why I'm here."

"Very well, tell me the problem." Morrow knew what was coming. Several people had complained about Gibbs favouring Tony, and Morrow told them all the same thing- If Gibbs wanted to have a favourite agent, that was his choice and not a problem.

"Gibbs is favouring DiNozzo all the time. DiNozzo never gets into trouble, always gets to choose his assignments. He disappears for hours at time, and Gibbs never asks about it or reprimands him. Twice today, I've been yelled at by Gibbs for something I haven't done. That is unfair."

"Okay. First, let me tell you something. Gibbs can have favourites if he wants to, that's his choice. As long as he does his job, I don't care. Second, Agent DiNozzo is the senior field agent- choosing assignments comes with the job. Third, Agent DiNozzo always gets into trouble, I'm not deaf. As for today, I heard about what is going on. You have no right to pick on a fellow agent- whether it's a joke or not- and you certainly have no right to be saying that someone should shut their mouth just because they are a bit of a chatterbox. Agent DiNozzo does an amazing job on cases, more than you will ever know, and he has earned the right to not tell people where he is going if they aren't involved in the case. Agent Todd, you need to lay off your partner. He's already having a hard enough time adjusting to a new team member after two years working alone with Gibbs, there's no need to make things harder for him."

Kate huffed. "I want the rest of the day off."

"I think that's a good idea. Go home, I'll inform Gibbs that you aren't here today." Morrow stood and guided Kate to the door. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

Gibbs was fuming. He had found a secluded outdoor area to calm down in, but he was still too pissed at the way Kate was treating Tony to calm down.

"Hi Gibbs."

Gibbs looked up into the face of his boss.

"Tom."

"I just spoke to Agent Todd."

"Let me guess, she put in a complaint about how I favour Tony over her?"

"Yes."

"I really couldn't care less about that right now."

"I'm not going to reprimand you. I've said it before, if you want favourites, that's your right. Just do your job and I'm good. I know you do your job. How's Agent DiNozzo doing? He's had a rough morning."

"Not just this morning. Remember how he collapsed yesterday?"

"How could I forget? You were so distressed on the phone."

"It turns out that he collapsed because he hasn't been looking after himself. Around a week ago, Kate made a joke about Tony being overweight, and even though he knew it wasn't true, he took it hard and tried to change himself. He didn't even realise he was losing weight until the doctor weighed him at the hospital yesterday. He was lucky that it was only four pounds he lost."

"He doesn't need treatment, does he?" Morrow asked worriedly. He liked Tony quite a bit, and hated to see him hurt.

"Not if he starts putting weight back on. I've got Ducky on board to help with the medical aspect, and I'm going to watch Tony carefully until he's gotten himself back to being healthy."

"If you need help, let me know."

"I will, but I think it'll work out alright. You really like Tony, don't you?"

"How can I not? That man worms his way into everyone's hearts without knowing that he does."

"Certainly true." Gibbs sighed. "I don't know what to do, Tom. I don't want to send anyone to another team, but if it comes to that, Kate will be the one moving. Tony's been abandoned enough in his life, and I promised to never do that to him."

"I know that. Right now, Agent Todd is at home, so you can focus on your young man this afternoon. Where is he, anyway?"

"With Ducky. Or maybe Abby. I'll go and get him in a little while."

"Is he happy down there?"

"He was excited when I told him to help Ducky for the day. I think he will feel better upstairs with me though."

"Then go and get him. Work the case if you can, but look after that agent of yours first." Tom stood. "I'll see you later."


	6. Papa Gibbs Comes Out Again

Tony had moved from autopsy up to Abby's lab. They were chatting about what they were going to do that weekend when Gibbs walked in.

"Hi, Gibbs," said Abby with a giant smile.

"Hey, Abbs." Gibbs kissed her cheek. "Mind if I steal DiNozzo from you for a while?"

"Not at all, boss-man." Abby hugged Tony. "If you want to talk, Tony, just come and tell me."

"Thanks, Abbs." Tony looked at Gibbs.

"Feel like working on the case with me? I could use the help," said Gibbs.

"You have help."

"Nope. Kate's gone home for the rest of the day. She made the mistake of telling Morrow that I have a favourite agent."

"But you do have a favourite."

"Yeah, so?"

"You aren't in trouble, are you?"

"Of course not. Morrow doesn't care. I still do my job, Tony."

With a genuine smile, Tony stood. "I'm sorry about all of this trouble," he said as they walked out to the elevator.

"It isn't your fault, Tony. I don't want to hear you saying that it is."

"Got it, boss. Uh, I should tell you, Ducky and I agreed to meet at four to talk. Is that okay?"

"It's more than okay." _That was pretty quick. I expected it to take Tony a lot longer to tell Ducky anything,_ thought Gibbs.

"Thank you." Tony felt relaxed as they entered the bull pen and sat at their desks. He pulled the case file to himself and opened it to read the contents.

Gibbs opened his own file, but watched Tony for a while. For the first time in more than a week, he was relaxed and comfortable, back to himself. He was humming some tune as he read, and Gibbs was not surprised when, ten minutes later, Tony laughed and started talking about some movie that related to what he was reading.

* * *

Four o'clock came quickly. Tony had been enjoying the comfortable silence between himself and Gibbs, just like it had been up until a few months earlier. He didn't want it to end, but he also knew he needed to talk to someone about Kate's current attitude towards him.

"Boss?" Tony asked.

"Go, Tony. Tell Ducky I'll be down in an hour for an update on the victim's psych profile."

"Will do. Thank you, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled as Tony walked past him. It gave Tony a warm feeling as he made his way down to autopsy.

* * *

Tony found Ducky waiting for him. A pot of tea was sitting on the desk next to Ducky's computer, with two teacups next to it.

"Hi, Duck," said Tony as he joined the older man.

"Hello, Anthony. You sound a lot happier than you did this morning."

"I feel happier. Do you know, I forgot what it was like to work alone with Gibbs? I didn't realise I missed it until now."

"Well, you worked alone with him for two years. It's natural to miss that closeness the two of you would have had, protecting each other fiercely at all times."

"Yeah. Or, something like that, anyway." Tony sipped some of the tea Ducky had poured for him. "This is nice."

"It's Earl Grey. I have plenty at home if you would like some."

"No, I think I'm good. I'll drink it when I'm with you."

"So, what do you want to discuss?"

Tony sighed. "It's Kate. I thought we were friends, Ducky. I thought she and I were getting along really well. But then, this morning, I heard her telling Gibbs that I'm annoying, I don't shut up and I talk about my personal life all the time. Okay, maybe I am all those things, but why does that have to mean we can't be friends?"

"Anthony, sometimes we make mistakes when deciding how people see us. Maybe this is a simple mistake."

"No, Ducky. I heard her. She was serious, there was no doubt about it. She meant it."

Tony looked so hurt, so glum, that Ducky couldn't try lying again. He knew Tony was right. With a small sigh that was barely audible, Ducky patted Tony's hand reassuringly.

"No matter what she thinks, Tony, we all love you here. You are a part of our family, and I will guarantee you this- if Jethro has to transfer one of you out of the team to keep the peace, you will be safe. Jethro will never, ever send away his favourite agent, his dear boy. No matter what happens, you will always have a place in his team and his heart."

Tony actually smiled at that. He had always known that he and Gibbs were good friends, had always known he held a special place in the older agent's heart. Ducky had really just confirmed that suspicion.

"Thank you, Ducky. I'm really glad I agreed to come and talk."

"I am too. Now, you should get back upstairs if you aren't going home."

* * *

Tony was feeling much better about himself by the time he got back to his desk. He had passed Gibbs on the way up to the bull pen, and Gibbs had told him to go home and sleep. Tony knew he wasn't going to sleep until much later, so he had invited Gibbs over for dinner. Gibbs had accepted the offer and told him that he would be there in roughly an hour, which was plenty of time for Tony to get home, change and make pasta for dinner.

Tony picked up his backpack and headed out to his car. He was home in twenty minutes.

* * *

Tony made quick work of getting himself showered and changed. He was wearing his favourite sweatpants, the same ones Gibbs had made him wear the night before, and a t-shirt that was somewhat loose. He was comfortable. Tony was just finishing off dinner when he heard his apartment door open.

"Tony?"

With a big smile that showed just how much Tony loved his boss' company, Tony stuck his head out of the kitchen door.

"Hi, Gibbs. I'm just finishing the pasta. Make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks, Tony. I brought some beers for us, by the way."

"Thank you." Tony disappeared into the kitchen and returned five minutes later with two bowls of steaming pasta. "Here you go."

Gibbs took the pasta from Tony, noting how his young friend seemed much happier after chatting to Ducky. He wondered what the older man had said.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?"

"Work, Tony. We need to finish this case."

"We can do that by lunch I think. Most of the work is done, and it's pretty much open and shut."

"I know. Tony, you know Kate will be back at work tomorrow, right?"

"I do." Tony looked away, his smile fading. "I promise there won't be any arguments or problems, boss."

Gibbs frowned. He hated it when Tony didn't feel comfortable enough to use his name, but at work he let it slide. They weren't at work now. "It's not 'boss', Tony. We are at home. And I don't want you to change because of anything that's been said. You are unique, and we love you for it."

"Thanks. But, I still promise there won't be problems." Tony finished the last of his food and stood up, taking his dishes into the kitchen.

Gibbs sighed. He had long since finished eating, so he followed Tony into the kitchen. "Tony, look at me."

"Yeah?" Tony turned, but his frown had softened. "Sorry, Gibbs. That wasn't exactly the nicest thing I could have said."

"Don't worry about it. Tell me what's bothering you. Are you uncomfortable working with Kate?"

"Not at all. I can't promise that I won't explode at some point, but I don't have a problem."

"Are you sure?"

Tony nodded. "Do you want to watch some TV?"


	7. The Worst Mistake

Tony arrived late the next morning. He had overslept and then caught traffic when he hit the freeway. He had called Gibbs to tell him he would be late, so he knew he wasn't in any trouble, but it didn't explain the glare he was getting from Kate when he walked up to his desk. Deciding to ignore the look, Tony sat down and got to work, wanting to close this case before lunch.

"DiNozzo, how bad is the traffic on the freeway?" Gibbs asked a moment later.

"Very bad. A truck tipped over and blocked three of the four lanes. Two cars smashed into the overturned truck. Why?"

"I was thinking of going out for training this afternoon."

"I overheard some of the cops saying that the mess would take all morning to clean up. From what I saw, it's going to take a lot longer than a few hours."

"No matter. We can use the gym downstairs. We're going to do some cardio training today."

"Do we have to? I hate cardio training."

"Get over it DiNozzo," said Gibbs with a smirk. "Cardio is part of the training. A very important part."

Tony groaned loudly. "Fine. Maybe we can start before lunch then? This case is finished, it just needs reports to be written and filed."

"Get on them then. Both of you. At eleven, I want you both in the gym." Gibbs disappeared around the corner and stopped, listening to his team.

"Kate, what reports would you like to do?" Gibbs heard Tony ask.

"None," Kate replied, and Gibbs heard a smug note to her voice.

"I am not going to be able to do three reports alone."

"Not my problem. I didn't work the case, you did."

Gibbs frowned when Tony answered. He was expecting Tony to tell her she didn't have a choice, but he instead heard, "Okay. That's fine. I can do the extra work."

Gibbs sighed. He walked back into the bull pen, trying to keep calm, and went over to Tony's desk. Silently, he picked up one of the reports and put it onto Kate's desk. Then he grabbed the third report and sat at his own desk to write it up.

"Boss, it's not necessary," said Tony quietly.

"You aren't doing all of the work. We are a team, and we work as a team," said Gibbs.

Tony looked at his work, but smiled. He was glad Gibbs had his back.

* * *

The reports were filed away by eleven thirty that day, so Tony and Kate followed Gibbs to the gym. It was mostly empty, but a couple of agents were in the boxing ring and Morrow was working at one of the punching bags.

"You two, we're using the treadmills today. Get going, I'll be over in a moment," said Gibbs as he headed over to Morrow. "Sir, is something wrong?"

"Not at all Gibbs. I'm merely trying to get fit again. How's things going this morning?" Morrow looked over at Tony and Kate.

"Not the best. Tony's trying to keep the peace, but it isn't easy when Kate won't do the same."

"He's coping?"

"I don't know. He sort of told me last night that he didn't think he could cope, but I'm hoping that things will resolve themselves with some time. I'd rather not lose either agent, and I will send Kate to another team if needed, because I can't lose the best agent I've ever worked with."

"If it comes to that, let me know. I'll work everything out."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks. I better go before Kate kills Tony."

* * *

Tony had just started his treadmill when Gibbs came over. He smiled at his boss while he warmed up, but the smile quickly faded when the treadmill started getting faster without him changing any of the settings.

"Boss? Help," said Tony as he tried to slow the machine. "It won't stop."

"Jump off it, Tony." Gibbs pulled the plug out from the wall. "Are you okay?"

Tony nodded, but he was slightly unnerved. He took a deep breath and composed himself. "Thanks. I might just use another one."

"Good idea."

Tony moved down the line of treadmills and stepped onto the last one. He started it and was running comfortably until Kate stepped up onto the one next to him. He was busy keeping an eye on his timer, so Tony didn't notice Kate's hand until it was pushing the speed button.

"What the hell?!" he shouted as he pushed Kate's hand away and readjusted the speed on his treadmill. "Are you mental?"

Kate smirked. "You can take it," she said with a shrug, and pushed the button up again.

Before Tony could stop her, Kate had gotten the speed up to its maximum. He couldn't reach the buttons as he began to slide off the treadmill and into the arms of one of the agents that had been in the ring.

"Agent DiNozzo, are you okay?" the man asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Tony said between deep breaths.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gibbs demanded as he rushed over.

"Nothing, boss. It's all good. I think I might just go for a run instead." Tony didn't wait for an answer. He took off and started running around the track that circled the entire gym.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Tony was slowing down. He had run around the gym ten times, taken a break, then done another five laps. He was exhausted. As he reached the cardio equipment where he had put his water bottle, Tony tripped. Trying to break his fall, Tony reached out with his hands. He impacted with the ground hard, and his head slammed against the ground too. He saw Gibbs and the two agents running towards him through the spots dancing in the corners of his vision, and he saw Morrow step in front of Kate, which he thought was odd.

"Tony? Hey, stay awake, alright? Stay with me," Gibbs was saying to him.

Tony felt himself get rolled over onto his back, so he let his eyes wander around the room until they landed on Gibbs.

"Good, Tony. Now, talk to me. Tell me something, anything."

Tony smiled lazily. His vision was getting worse and his head felt like it was on fire. He couldn't understand why everyone suddenly wanted him to talk. They hated when he spoke since he never stopped. What was so different now?

"Tony, talk to us," Gibbs said desperately. He was touching Tony's cheek.

Tony finally opened his mouth to speak, but the words came out slurred. "Gibbs… Ouch…"

"Sorry, Tony." Gibbs moved his hand away from the already bruising cheek.

"Agent Gibbs, the paramedics are here," said one of the agents.

Gibbs reluctantly moved away from Tony to let the paramedics through.

"What happened?" the female medic asked.

"He was tripped," said Gibbs angrily. "He tried to stop his fall, but he hit the ground pretty hard, and his head hit the ground too."

"I know this probably sounds weird, but did his head bounce when it hit the floor?"

"I think so."

"Get a brace on him, Joe," the woman said to her male partner.

"On it, Elise." Joe quickly wrapped a brace around Tony's neck, then returned his attention to Tony's vital signs.

"What's his name?"

"Tony," said Gibbs.

"Tony, can you hear me?" Elise asked.

Tony blinked, having not understood what the paramedic was asking. He was dizzy and the black spots were getting bigger. He finally closed his eyes and gave in to the darkness that was surrounding him.

"He's out," said Joe as he put an oxygen mask on Tony's face. "His BP is low, so is his pulse."

"He's probably got internal injuries that need to be dealt with," agreed Elise, "and maybe some injuries to his brain and skull. We need to get to the hospital. Agent Gibbs, would you like to come with us?"

"As much as I'd love to, there's something that needs my attention first. Can one of these two agents go instead?"

"Yes, of course."

Gibbs pointed out the more senior of the two men. "That's Agent Connors. He and Tony worked together in Peoria, so they know each other. I trust that he will look after Tony until I get to the hospital."

Elise nodded. "Agent Connors, follow us please." She helped her partner lift the stretcher they had strapped Tony to, then led the way to the ambulance.

* * *

In the ambulance, Elise quickly connected Tony to an IV machine and a heart monitor. His vital signs were already low, and were starting to drop even more.

"What's happening?" asked Connors as the heart monitor's alarm went off.

"He's crashing. You know CPR?"

"Yes."

"Good. Start the chest compressions while I do the oxygen. We need to try and get his heart back into its normal rhythm, preferably before we get to the hospital."

Connors placed his hands onto Tony's chest and applied pressure. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Elise pumping air into Tony through the oxygen mask. He really hoped they would be able to get Tony back.

* * *

Doctor Swan was walking into the ER when she heard the sirens outside. It was just before lunch, and was usually a quiet time in the emergency department, so it piqued her attention. Stopping a nurse that was rushing to the doors, she asked,

"What's going on?"

"Ambulance just arrived from the Navy Yard. An NCIS agent was apparently tripped up and he fell hard, hitting his head on the ground a couple of times. He lost consciousness while the medics were checking him at the scene, and he crashed in the ambulance. They've got him stabilised for now."

The doctor paled. She really hoped that she was wrong about who the agent was. "Is a doctor coming down?"

"Couldn't get a hold of any yet. You can take it."

"Let's go."

* * *

Elise and Joe wheeled Tony through the doors into the ER, Connors right behind them. They were glad to see a nurse and a doctor already on the way.

"What have you got?" asked the doctor.

"Agent DiNozzo from NCIS…" said Elise, handing their notes over.

"Tony? Damn it! Alright, tell me what happened."

"He was tripped while running in the NCIS gym," said Connors. "He fell and hit his head on the ground."

"Nobody could be sure if his head bounced when he hit the ground, so we put him in a brace to be safe. He crashed in the ambulance and we gave CPR. Luckily, he responded, though he has not regained consciousness," said Joe.

"He lost consciousness while you were there?"

"Yes."

"Did he speak at all?"

"No."

"He spoke before they arrived," said Connors. "He sounded drunk."

"He might have a head injury that we can't see," said Edith. "Take him straight in for a CT," she said to the nurse. "Where's Agent Gibbs?"

"He's dealing with the person that tripped Tony. I'm here in his place until he gets here."

"You're an agent too?"

"Agent Connors. Tony and I are old friends from about eight and a half years ago."

"Alright. I'll get you to wait out here, and I'll come get you once I have him settled on a ward."


	8. Repercussions

Edith made quick work of taking blood from Tony once he had finished getting his scans and x-rays done. She told the nurse to mark it as urgent and to get the test results that were ready while she finished off her examination. She had already noted that Tony needed surgery to repair his nose and to replace the teeth that had been knocked loose when his face hit the gym floor. She was just waiting on an oral surgeon and a plastic surgeon to arrive.

"Doctor Swan, here are the scans and x-rays you asked for," said a young nurse before she left the room.

Edith quickly checked the scans and x-rays. With a sigh of relief, she noted that Tony had barely any broken bones, other than his nose and two fingers. She instructed one of the nurses in the room to carefully tape Tony's middle, index, and ring fingers together on his left hand, then turned back to the scans. Tony's neck wasn't broken, so she removed the brace, but his skull was cracked and his brain was swollen and bruised. He was going to have problems when he finally did wake up. Poor guy. Just two days earlier, he had been facing a challenge to gain weight back. That was nothing compared to what he was going to experience now.

"Doctor Swan? You paged?"

"I did. Doctor Joan, I need you to repair my patient's nose. He's going to have enough issues when he wakes up without having to deal with a broken nose."

"Not a problem."

"Thank you so much. I'm just waiting on an oral surgeon…"

"I'm here. What do you need?"

"I need my patient's teeth repaired. Two of the molars on the bottom right have been knocked loose, and one on the top right has also been knocked loose."

"Can he go in for surgery now?"

"As soon as the two of you can go would be great."

"I'm free now."

"So am I," said Joan.

Edith smiled. "Thank you both."

* * *

Gibbs was beyond anger by now. He couldn't believe that Kate had purposely tripped Tony while he was running. It had been bad enough that she almost got him hurt when she had messed with his treadmill both times, but tripping him over so that he fell hard enough to end up in hospital was the icing on the cake. She was in for it this time.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Gibbs asked in a deadly calm voice.

"I don't care what you do to me. He deserved it," said Kate smugly.

"He deserved it, did he? What did he do to you? He's been nothing but nice to you, from the moment you met. He's unconscious, Todd. He might not make it through what you've caused!"

"So?"

"If you don't start taking responsibility, I'll throw you in jail. Do you understand that?" Morrow asked as he took over.

"I really couldn't care less."

"Maybe this will change your mind. I just spoke to Agent Connors. Tony has two broken fingers from trying to stop his fall. His nose is pretty much a shattered mess. Three of his teeth have been knocked loose. His skull is cracked. The frontal lobe of his brain is bruised and swollen. If he wakes up, he'll have trouble with his speech, mobility, memory, problem solving skills, and judgement, among many other issues. You are damn lucky he's still alive, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd be in prison for the rest of your life," Gibbs stated angrily just before storming out of the interrogation room.

"You know what? Gibbs is right," said Morrow. "You're under arrest for grievous bodily harm and assaulting a federal agent. You have the right to remain silent." Morrow stood and cuffed Kate, ignoring her protests.

* * *

Edith walked into the ER waiting room and found Gibbs there. He looked angry, and also looked like he had been crying. She felt bad for the older man, knowing from her experience two days earlier that he and Tony were close.

"Agent Gibbs? Do you feel up to discussing Tony's condition?" she asked gently.

Gibbs was relieved to see Edith was looking after Tony. "Connors already told me about his injuries. I just want to know if he's awake."

"Sorry. Tony's not awake, and I'd say he probably won't wake up for a few days, if at all."

Gibbs sighed. "What about the surgery? How did that go?"

"His teeth are back in their sockets properly and will heal in the next day. His nose will take longer to heal, but it, too, will be okay soon. It's swollen right now, so it might look like it's not fixed, but it is."

"His skull? Is there anything that can be done about that?"

"No. It's only a crack, so unless it gets worse, we won't touch it. A neurologist will be a part of Tony's medical team too, so that we can monitor his brain while he's recovering. It's going to take some time."

"I figured it would. Is there anything I can do?"

"Right now, the best thing you can do is look after yourself and spend some time with Tony. He's unconscious, but he may be able to hear you. If he can hear you, it will help him find his way back to us."

"I want to see him, please."

"Of course, follow me." Edith stood and led Gibbs up to Tony's room in the ICU. "You can go in for a while, if you like."

Gibbs nodded. He opened the door to Tony's room and headed straight over to the bed. Picking up Tony's right hand, Gibbs felt tears start running down his cheeks. Tony looked so battered and bruised, and it broke his heart. He had been hoping that he would get to the hospital and find Tony up and messing around until he could be released. Gibbs noticed that Tony was on a respirator, which was devastating. Tony was a very strong, active man, and this was not the way he imagined his senior field agent. There was an IV in his left arm, another in his right arm, and the IV machine was steadily giving him fluids and antibiotics. The heart monitor beeped loudly, but Gibbs couldn't hear it. He just wanted to close his eyes and pretend it was a nightmare.


	9. Coma

"Gibbs? Go home, get some rest," said Morrow twenty-four hours later. "I'll stay with him."

"I can't leave," Gibbs said, his voice hoarse from all the talking he had been doing since Tony's surgery. "He needs support, family. I'm his family."

"I know that. Tony will appreciate everything you're doing for him, I promise. But you need to go home. You can't live in a hospital."

"What if he wakes up? I don't want him to feel alone and scared."

"He won't be alone. I'll be here, and so are the nurses and doctors. If he wakes, we'll call you."

Gibbs shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "I can't leave him, Tom. This is my fault. I knew Kate was trying to anger him, but I didn't think she'd actually hurt him. I should have seen it."

"There was no way you could have seen it, Gibbs. No-one saw that coming."

"They had to see it coming…"

"How? Trust me, you need some rest. You aren't thinking clearly."

Finally, Gibbs sighed and nodded. "Don't leave him alone."

"I won't. Remember, I like Tony too." Morrow watched Gibbs leave. He wanted to cry as he watched his best team leader walking down the ICU hallway, shoulders slumped and shaking as he sobbed. "Come on, Tony, you need to wake up. Gibbs needs you," said Morrow as he took a seat in the chair Gibbs had vacated. "Just wake up for us."

* * *

Morrow had fallen asleep by the time Gibbs returned the following morning, so Gibbs quietly made his way over to Tony. He couldn't help feeling sad and angry when he looked at his normally strong, funny friend. Gibbs picked up Tony's left hand, being careful not to touch the two broken fingers so he wouldn't cause any pain for Tony, and held it.

"Tony, bud, I know you are in a lot of pain. I really do. But I can't lose you. I need you to wake up, to come back to me. Can you do that?" Gibbs asked softly, not noticing his boss had woken up and was listening. "Please, Tony, wake up. Let's show the doctors that you're a tough person, that they don't need to be worrying so much. Let's show them how strong you are, together. We can do it together. Just open your eyes, pal."

Tony remained silent and still. His hand was limp in Gibbs' one, but the older man still hoped that Tony would hear him and show him that he was coming back to them.

"Gibbs?" Morrow asked, pretending that he had just woken. "When did you get back?"

"A few minutes ago. Did I wake you? I didn't mean to."

"I heard you talking, thought maybe the doctor was here."

"I was talking to Tony. Dr Swan said that talking to him might help him come back to us."

"Talking to an unconscious person is always a big help. I've done it before."

"Did it wake them?"

"A couple of them, yeah. The others didn't wake up, but that was probably because they were already dead when I got to them."

"Tony's still alive," said Gibbs quietly, almost as if he wasn't sure.

"Yes, he is. And he'll come back to you. Tony's a strong person, a fighter. You'll see."

"Why is it taking so long?"

"Because he needs some rest. He needs a chance to heal. Just let him rest, alright?"

"Are you staying with me?"

"If you want me to."

"Stay. Just for a while. Please?"

"Of course." Morrow gave Gibbs a smile. "Do you want to sit?"

Gibbs shook his head. He took a seat on the side of the bed, still holding Tony's hand.

* * *

Gibbs had fallen asleep. He wasn't sure when, but he knew he had, especially since Edith was gently shaking his shoulder.

"Dr Swan?" Gibbs asked tiredly. He sat up and realised he was still holding Tony's hand. "Did something happen? Is Tony okay?"

"Tony's doing as well as can be expected. I came in to check on you. A nurse said she had seen you laying awkwardly on Tony's bed, and thought something was wrong."

Gibbs relaxed. "I'm okay. Just tired." He looked at his friend. "Did I hurt him?"

"No. You were resting on his legs, but it's not enough to cause pain. Besides, he's on morphine to help him stay comfortable. He's not feeling any pain."

"Is he showing signs of waking yet?" It was the same question he had asked twice already that day.

"No. Just keep talking to him. He needs to hear a familiar voice if he's going to find his way back."

Gibbs nodded. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven pm. I know you aren't going to leave. Do you want me to get you a bed so you can stay here and get some sleep?"

"No. If I'm tired enough, I'll sleep in the chair. I won't sleep anyway, not if Tony needs me. If there's even the slightest chance that he'll wake up, I need to be awake."

"Putting yourself in the hospital isn't going to help him. You need to look after yourself too."

"I will. I just need him to open his eyes."

Edith smiled kindly. "He will open his eyes, Gibbs. It's probably going to take time, but he will wake up. I saw the relationship between you two, and Tony won't be leaving you. I'm going to check the rest of my patients before I head home, but there are several nurses that are more than happy to help if you need it. I'll see you tomorrow. Try and rest."

Gibbs dropped his head once Edith had left. Tears were falling again as he tried to get Tony to wake up again.


	10. Waking Up

Four days. Four extremely long days. That was how long it had been since Tony had fallen in the NCIS gym. Gibbs was growing a beard now, having not shaved since before Tony had gotten hurt. He hadn't left the hospital since the previous morning, despite Ducky and Edith working together to try and get him into the fresh air. Abby had stopped by a few times to visit with Tony and bring food to Gibbs, which he hadn't touched anyway. Morrow had been there all day long that day, trying to get Gibbs to sleep. But nothing worked. The one thing that would help Gibbs rest and take care of himself was the one thing he couldn't have- Tony.

Gibbs felt his eyes closing as he picked up Tony's left hand. He was glad that his fingers had healed, though they were still somewhat fragile. His nose had healed well too, the swelling had come down completely. Edith had said that Tony's teeth were healed as well, but he would have to be careful for a few more days when he was eating so that he didn't knock them loose again. She had said she would get the oral surgeon that had fixed Tony's teeth to come and have a look in the next day or so. But the best part of it was that she had taken Tony off the ventilator that morning. Gibbs let his eyes close as he put his head down on Tony's bed for the fifth time that day, and was asleep almost instantly.

* * *

It was dark, too dark. That wasn't normal. Tony tried to move his head, but it was heavy, so he stopped. He tried to move his mouth, but it was painful. Then he tried to blink. For a moment, he thought nothing was happening, but then he felt his eyes open. Tony blinked as light hit his partially open eyes. It was a little too bright for his liking, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from figuring out where he was. What was stopping him was the fact that he didn't recognise his surroundings. He knew he wasn't at home or work, but the place was unfamiliar.

Blinking again, Tony moved his left hand to try and release the pressure that was there, but nothing changed. He knew his hand had moved, but the pressure was still there. He moved his head a little bit and looked at his hand to see what was there.

"Ibbs…?" he managed to say.

Tony saw his boss move a little. He could see Gibbs' eyes opening, so he tried again.

"Ibbs…"

"Tony?" asked Gibbs, though he clearly didn't realise Tony was talking to him. "I miss you, buddy. Please wake up." Gibbs put his head a little closer to Tony's hand. "Wake up," he said as he closed his eyes again.

"Ibbs…" Tony said for the third time.

This time, Gibbs reacted. Tony saw him startle awake, so he closed his fingers as best as possible around the older man's hand.

"Tony, buddy, thank god!" Gibbs breathed as he quickly pushed the call button. "Keep your eyes open, okay? Just stay awake for me."

The door opened and two nurses ran in. One of them was paging the doctor already.

"Agent Gibbs, what's wrong?"

"Tony… he's awake," said Gibbs as he fought back tears.

The nurses were surprised. They both looked at Tony and smiled.

"I'll get Dr Swan," said one, and she left.

"Hi, Tony," the remaining nurse said in a soft, kind tone. "I'm Amy. How about we take off that oxygen mask?"

Tony blinked and watched the nurse as she took the mask off his face.

"Great job, Tony. I'm going to put a nasal cannula on so you can still breathe comfortably, alright?"

"Gibbs…" Tony mumbled.

"I'm here, Tony. I'm not going anywhere." Gibbs smiled his first real smile in days.

"Tired…"

"I know you are." Gibbs turned to the nurse. "Can Tony sleep?"

"Not yet. Dr Swan will need to examine him, make sure that if he does have a concussion, it won't send him back into a coma."

"Okay." Gibbs turned to Tony. "Buddy, stay awake and talk to me, alright?"

"Where… am I?"

"Bethesda. You're in the intensive care unit."

"Why?"

"You had an accident. Do you remember that?"

"No. Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"Hurts…" Tony coughed.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"No, you… hand…"

Gibbs frowned, then looked down, realising he had a tight grip on Tony's injured fingers. "Sorry," he said as he let go.

"It's okay… Don't leave?"

"I'm not."

"Agent Gibbs hasn't left your side in days, Tony," said Amy. "He sleeps here, when he actually sleeps, that is, and he spent the last four days talking to you so that you would be able to find your way back to us."

Tony looked at his boss, a small smile appearing. "Thank you," he said.

The door opened again, and Edith came rushing in. Relief filled her face when she saw Tony talking to Gibbs and Amy.

"Hi, Tony. Do you remember me?" Edith asked, giving him a wide smile.

Tony nodded. "Edith."

"Good memory."

"I don't know what happened to me."

"That's alright. You've had quite a traumatic accident. Let's get you better, and then we can discuss what you went through, alright?"

"My mouth and… nose… they hurt."

"Your nose was shattered when you were injured, and three of your molars were knocked loose. The teeth have healed quite well, but you do need to take it easy in the next few days. I'll get the surgeon to come and check for you. And your nose was surgically repaired too. The swelling has come down in the last two days, so it may be sore for a little longer. I'll give you some morphine after I check you."

"Tired…"

"I know you are. Let's make sure you don't have a concussion or anything first."

"Gibbs can stay?"

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of sending Gibbs home, though maybe he'll get some sleep and eat properly now."

"Gibbs… sick?"

"No."

Tony nodded. He found his boss' hand again and gripped it. "I'm scared."

Gibbs felt his heart break yet again. He lightly squeezed Tony's hand reassuringly. "Bud, you don't need to be scared, okay? You're safe in here."

"Kay…"

Gibbs looked at Edith. "How are you going to know the extent of his injuries?"

"I'll get his team together after I finish in here and we'll make a plan. Tony's going to need a lot of care, even if he is conscious now."

"What can I do?"

"Be there to reassure him. You are the father figure in his life, Gibbs. It's time for you to embrace it and show Tony how much he means to you. I know you have been doing that lately, but Tony didn't see any of it while he was out."

Gibbs nodded. "Whatever he needs, I'll be here."

Edith smiled. "Good to hear. Now, Tony, I'm going to check you for a concussion. The light may hurt your eyes, so just tell me if I need to stop."

Tony looked to Edith. She had a bright smile on her face that helped him relax, so he nodded. Edith quickly checked his eyes.

"From what I can see, you have a minor concussion. I'd say that has been healing over the last few days. You should be fine to sleep, but we'll wake you every couple of hours just to be sure."

"I can sleep?"

"In a moment. Can you turn your head to the left for me?"

Tony turned to face Gibbs. His boss was smiling at him while Edith quickly checked his head.

"Look at me now."

Tony turned back. Edith pressed on his forehead gently, but it hurt, and Tony couldn't stop himself from crying out.

"Okay, it's okay. I'm done. Your skull is cracked, and your brain is bruised and still partially swollen. Pain is expected." Edith gently patted Tony's shoulder. "You'll be okay, no matter how long it takes for you to recover. I'm not going anywhere, neither is Gibbs. And you have an excellent team of doctors waiting to help."

Tony nodded. "Sleep?"

"Of course. Close your eyes and rest. I'll get a nurse to check on you in two hours." Edith waited until Tony was sleeping. "Gibbs, can you step outside for a second?"

Gibbs nodded. "Is everything okay?"


	11. Tests

"Is everything okay?" Gibbs asked.

"Tony seems to be okay, but I'm not a neurologist. He's going to need tests tomorrow."

"He can speak perfectly."

"He can. Frontal lobe damage can cause a wide array of problems, and not all are present for most patients. Tony's speech seems unaffected, but I think that we'll need to wait until he's awake properly tomorrow morning before we can be certain."

"Is there a chance that what he's displaying now is not what things will be like?"

"There is always that chance. We'll test him tomorrow to be sure, but I think Tony has gotten lucky."

Gibbs sighed. He didn't feel comfortable. "Do whatever needs to be done. But, it only gets done with me present."

"That's fine. I'll go and speak with everyone now so that tomorrow morning, we can get as much done as possible. Tony's probably not going to like any of the tests."

"He'll be fine with them." _I hope,_ Gibbs added in his mind.

* * *

Tony had fallen asleep after the last wake up call from a nurse with his hand firmly holding onto Gibbs' hand. It provided comfort, and Tony needed all the comfort he could get. Even now, though he was awake and sitting in a reclined position, Tony was still holding onto his boss.

"Hi, Tony," said Edith as she came into the room with a group of people. "I want you to meet the surgeons and specialists that make up your care team."

"That's a lot of people," Tony said anxiously.

"It is, yes. You don't need to be worried, Tony. Everyone here wants to help you get better, that's all."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now, this is Doctor Joan. She's the orthopaedic doctor that repaired your nose. You know, I'd say that she did a better job than any plastic surgeon I've ever met."

Tony smiled shyly. Joan came up to him and shook his hand.

"Hi, Tony! I wish it was different circumstances, but it's nice to meet you."

"Hi." Tony smiled again. "Thank you for fixing my nose, by the way."

"Oh, that's not a problem. Can I ask how it's feeling?"

"A little sore."

"Is it okay if I quickly check to see how it's healing?"

Tony nodded. He tightened his grip on Gibbs' hand as Joan gently prodded along his nose, checking the bone.

"You know what, I don't think I'm needed anymore," Joan said to Edith. "The bone is straight and completely healed. There's no swelling or bruising. The pain will disappear in a day or two."

"Thank you for your help, Joan," said Edith as the younger woman said goodbye to Tony and walked out of the room. "Well, how about we make it three doctors on your care team then, Tony? This is Doctor Warren, an oral surgeon. She fixed your teeth for you."

"Thank you. Are they supposed to hurt still?" Tony asked as Warren stepped closer.

"It's only been a few days, so pain is expected. Where does it hurt?"

"My jaw, mostly."

Warren touched Tony's face. "There are no breaks or anything. I think your teeth just need a little longer to heal, that's all. They are firmly in their sockets again, and shouldn't come loose, but I'll be around if you need me again, okay?"

"Okay."

"What can we do about his pain?" Edith asked before Warren left.

"For now, morphine will help with all the pain he's feeling, but once you stop the morphine, Tylenol will be fine."

"Thank you. I'll let you know if we need you again." Warren left, and Edith introduced the neurologist next. "This is Dr Angliss. He's a neurologist, one of the best in the USA. He's been helping me out with your head injuries from the moment you were brought in. You'll like him, he's a lot like you."

Tony looked at the remaining doctor curiously. "Like me, how?"

Angliss smiled. He came over and stood at the foot of Tony's bed. "Well, Dr Swan tells me that you are a bit of a jokester."

Tony grinned. "I might be," he said, feeling shy again.

"I don't know if that was what she meant, however. You see, back when I was twenty, I was in a car accident. I had almost identical head injuries to you."

"Really?"

"Yes." Angliss smiled again. "But now, I'm a doctor- a neurologist. That is one of the hardest professions you can ever have."

"Didn't your head injuries…" Tony coughed. "Didn't they affect you?"

"Yes, for a while. But I had some great doctors and my friends were very supportive. I vowed that I would always look out for my patients and to do the best I can to help them. A lot of my former patients hang out with me."

"So, you stay friends with them?"

"Most of them, yes."

Tony smiled slowly. "You wouldn't be here if I didn't have hidden injuries. What's wrong with me?"

"Well, I'm not too sure yet. Your brain is swollen and bruised on the frontal lobe. That is probably the worst area of the brain to injure. There is no way to tell how bad things are if a person is unconscious."

"I'm awake now."

"You are, which is a very good thing. You were unconscious for four days. Now that you're awake, I need to do some tests so that we know how bad your injuries are."

"What kind of tests?"

"We need an MRI and a CT scan, but that can wait until a little later if needed. We need to check your mobility, speech, problem solving skills, things like that."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"I don't want any needles."

"I'm not going to use any."

"Gibbs has to be with me."

"I understand. That's perfectly fine." Angliss smiled. "I'd like to start now, if you feel up to it."

Tony nodded. "Alright," he said, still gripping his boss' hand.

"How about we check your speech first? You're talking to us, and we can understand you. Your words are clear, not slurred. I just want to see how you go with a few sentences. And remember, if you need to stop, you just have to tell me."

"Okay."

Angliss handed Tony a card with three sentences on it. They were designed to test a person's speech, so they didn't really make a whole lot of sense.

"What do I do?" Tony asked.

"Read them out loud to me."

Tony shrugged. It was an easy task. "The cat jumped the rat, attacked the bat, and ate until he was fat."

"Good. Do the next one."

"After the disaster, our rafter became plaster." Tony frowned. "These are weird."

"I know. It's made to test speech, and the harder a sentence is, the easier it is for a person to have problems. Can you read the last one?"

"Mark went on a lark in the park after dark."

"Good job." Angliss took the card back and smiled. "It sounds to me like your speech is fine. Did you feel uncomfortable with that task?"

"No. It's not hard."

"Well, if you start to have any problems with speaking, let someone know so they can call me, alright?"

Tony nodded. "What's next?"

"Next, I want to check your problem solving skills. Are you good at math?"

"I'm okay. It wasn't my best subject at school."

"I'm going to give you a math problem. It's written down, and I want you to solve it. Take your time, I'm in no hurry, and I want you to think it through. If you think that it's going to be too hard, then let me know."

"What happens if I can't do it?"

"We'll have a look at it and see what the problem is. If it's just that it's too hard because you aren't able to do it, then we'll try a different problem. If it's because of your injuries, we'll work out a way to fix it."

Tony nodded. "Alright."

Angliss passed over a piece of paper. He handed Tony a pen and noticed that the young man seemed unable to hold it properly.

"Tony, are you right handed?"

"Yes."

"Is something wrong? I know your right hand wasn't injured."

"It feels weird. I can't make my fingers hold it like I normally do."

"How do you normally hold it?"

"The pen usually sits on top of the middle finger, and I grip it between my thumb and index fingers at the bottom."

Angliss reached forward and grabbed the pen. "Pass me your hand."

Tony put his right hand into Angliss' left one. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to put the pen into your hand, the way you normally hold it. I want you to try and write your name with it." Angliss adjusted the pen so it was snug in Tony's hand. "Give it a go."

Tony put the pen on his paper, but his hand felt uncomfortable. He couldn't write at first, but then he managed to make a 'T'. It was sloppy and almost illegible. "I'm sorry," said Tony. "It's like a child wrote it."

"There's no need to be sorry, Tony. The person that did this to you is the one that should be sorry."

"What happened to my hand?"

"Your hand is fine. Our frontal lobe controls our mobility, whether it's fine motor skills or gross motor skills. As you heal, you'll be able to write properly again, but until that time, we'll do some exercises to help you."

"If I can't write, what else is wrong with me?"

"Let's keep going with these tests, then we can figure it out. It's going to be okay, I promise."

Tony nodded glumly. "Gibbs?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"How did this happen?"

"You don't remember it, do you?"

"No."

"I promise to tell you later, alright? Get these tests done first, then I'll explain everything you want to know." Gibbs gave Tony a smile. "I'm right here."


	12. Tests Part 2 & The Truth Comes Out

Tony was struggling. The math problem wasn't hard, but he just couldn't figure it out. At first, he had asked Angliss if Gibbs could try it too, since Gibbs had never been good at math. The doctor had agreed, Gibbs had attempted the problem and solved it in a few minutes. But, twenty minutes later, Tony still couldn't find the answer.

"That's it, I give up," Tony said, passing the paper and pen back to Angliss.

"Alright. I'm happy that you kept trying, Tony. I know that couldn't have been easy."

"Why is it so hard?"

"It's another area of your brain that's controlled by the injured area. Problem solving isn't the easiest task in the world, especially when it relates to math, but it's a good indicator of any problems that need to be dealt with. We'll find a way around it, and we'll get you better."

"Okay."

"Now, how about we try getting you out of the bed and walking? We won't go far, just to the bathroom door and back. It's roughly five steps away."

"What if I can't do it?"

"Then we'll get you back into bed to rest more. Mobility is probably one of the harder injuries to diagnose, simply because patients that have been in a coma need time to regain strength. Most times, what is thought to be a problem because of a brain injury, is actually just because the person hasn't got any strength to move around. We'll test your mobility again in a week and see if you can improve. By then, you'll have your strength back enough to walk."

"Okay." Tony let Gibbs and Edith help him to his feet. He waited while Edith moved the monitor cords out of his way, then slowly took a step forward.

"Good job. Can you take another one?" Angliss asked, one arm around Tony's waist and the other holding Tony's arm to support him.

Tony frowned. He was already tired, but he put his foot in front of him again. "Can we stop now?" he asked.

"Of course we can. Can you tell me why?"

"I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Okay." Angliss felt relieved that it was looking as though Tony simply didn't have any strength just yet. "Let's get you into bed again. We'll get a wheelchair for you when you're ready to get out of this room, alright?"

"Thank you." Tony allowed the two doctors to guide him back to the bed. He made himself comfortable, grabbing Gibbs' hand again. "Can I sleep now?"

"I'm done," said Angliss. "I'll check in each day to see how you're doing, and in a week's time, we'll get you up again. You did a great job today."

"Sure I did." Tony looked up. "I like you, but I really would love to never see you again."

"I understand. Let's get you healed and out of here, then we'll figure out whether you need to come and see me again. I'll go and set up the scans so we can finish for the day and let you rest."

* * *

Three hours later, Tony was back in his room. His scans were done and Angliss had been impressed with the results. As much as he was injured, Tony was only facing a short time for his recovery. His brain was healing well, and while it was still swollen and bruised, the injuries weren't pressing much on his brain, at least not enough to cause too many problems. Angliss had told him that he would be back to normal within a week, maybe two. That was good, and had given Tony some hope. Hope that would now be dashed.

"Gibbs, it's time to tell me what happened," said Tony. Angliss had left him sitting upright in the bed, and Gibbs had just adjusted it so that Tony was reclining.

Gibbs sighed. He was worried about the damage that would be done when he found out about Kate.

"Just tell me, Gibbs. Please?"

"Okay. We were training in the NCIS gym, do you remember that?"

"Yes."

"What do you remember about it?"

"I remember that you told us to use the treadmills. I remember finding one away from Kate just so I could work out in peace. My treadmill was going crazy and wouldn't slow down, so you unplugged it from the wall. I remember going to another treadmill, and I remember Kate coming to the one next to me. I was trying to ignore her and concentrate, but it didn't go well. She kept speeding up my machine, and before I could stop it, I slid right off. Someone, another agent, caught me. I don't remember who it was."

"Do you remember what you did next?"

Tony shook his head.

"After Agent Connors caught you, you got up and went running around the track. I counted eight laps, but I think you actually did more than that. When you were going to stop for a rest, you were tripped. Do you remember that?"

"No."

"Kate tripped you, Tony."

"By accident?"

"On purpose. I don't know what's going on with her lately, but I also can't worry about that right now. You have to be my priority."

"Where's Kate now?"

"In a holding cell. She's been arrested."

"For what?"

"Assaulting you, and for grievous bodily harm."

"That's serious."

"After what she did to you, and the fact that she didn't even seem to care, she deserves it. I can't have her around you, or anyone else for that matter."

"Did she give a reason for it?"

"No. Her exact words were, 'I don't care what you do to me. He deserved it'. I swear that if Morrow hadn't been in the room to stop me, I'd have killed her."

Tony looked up with troubled eyes. "I didn't deserve it, right?" he asked in a somewhat child-like tone.

"Not at all. Nobody deserves to be injured in the way you are, buddy." Gibbs smiled at his favourite agent. "She's not getting away with this, Tony. She'll get what she deserves."

"If I go to sleep, will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Yes. You get some rest, pal. I'm just going to step outside and call Ducky to let him know how you're doing, then I'll be right back." Gibbs stood, holding his phone. He squeezed Tony's hand and smiled. He grabbed his jacket from the back of his seat and placed it gently over his exhausted agent, tucking it around him for safety and comfort.

Tony nodded, his eyes already closed. He snuggled himself down underneath the blankets as Gibbs lowered the bed and fell asleep in seconds.


	13. Friends

"Hey, Duck," said Gibbs half an hour later. "Hi, Abby."

"I want to see Tony. Can I see Tony?" asked Abby. She had been crying, but was smiling anyway. She just wanted her 'brother'.

"He's asleep. You can sit with him if you want to, but let him sleep, Abby."

"Where are you going? Tony's going to want you when he wakes up."

"I'm just going to the ICU waiting room with Ducky. And he might ask for me, but he'll have you there to keep him company until I get back. When he wakes, tell him where I am."

Abby nodded. "On it." She hugged Gibbs, glad that he was a little happier now, then went into Tony's room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"What's on your mind, Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"Tony."

"Not something new. What about our dear boy?"

"He wanted to know how he got hurt, and he caught me stalling. I had to tell him, Duck."

"How did Anthony take the news?"

"He tried to justify her actions at first. Then he asked me if he deserved to get hurt."

"You did tell him that this isn't his fault, didn't you?" Ducky asked, fully prepared to drag Gibbs back to Tony if needed.

"Of course, but it still broke my heart to hear him ask that. What was worse, he sounded so much like a child when he asked. Tony is a very strong young man, Duck. I've never heard him sound that way before, not even when he figured out what his partner in Baltimore was up to."

"Anthony will be fine, Jethro. He's going to need support and love, and he will have that. Just be there for him."

* * *

Abby had just sat down next to Tony's bed when her 'brother' woke up.

"Abbs?" Tony asked sleepily.

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Where's Gibbs?"

"He went to the ICU waiting room with Ducky to talk. Do you want me to go get him?"

"Not yet." Tony frowned as he noticed Gibbs' jacket. "Did you do this?" he asked as he moved it to the side of the bed.

"Nope. Gibbs probably did. He's been really protective of you the last few days. He wouldn't let anyone near you until he was sure they wouldn't hurt you. He scared the living daylights out of one of the nurses the day after you were brought in when he accidentally yelled at her."

"What did she do?"

"She was trying to draw blood for a blood test. The needle missed the vein and Gibbs saw it stab into your arm. He went ballistic. It was kind of funny, as long as you weren't the nurse."

Tony laughed a little. "That sounds about right. He was pretty scared yesterday."

Abby smiled. She climbed onto the bed and laid herself next to Tony, giving him a one-armed hug. "I was so scared, Tony."

Tony wrapped his arms around Abby as tightly as he could without putting pressure on the two IV needles in his arms. He could feel Abby falling asleep with her head on his chest, but it didn't bother him. The contact was comforting and warm. He let her sleep, then fell asleep himself.

* * *

The next time Tony woke up, Gibbs and Ducky were in the room. Abby was still asleep, but she was now on the couch instead of on the bed with him. Gibbs' jacket covered her. Tony looked at his boss with a small smile.

"Hi, Ducky," he said softly, not wishing to wake Abby.

"Hello, Anthony. Are you feeling any better?" Ducky asked.

"A little." In truth, Tony felt scared. His fingers on his right hand still weren't bending properly, and he was having trouble grasping anything.

"Need some help, bud?" Gibbs asked as Tony attempted to manoeuver the bed's controls.

"Yes, please. I just want to sit up."

Gibbs nodded. He stepped around to the right side of the bed and quickly raised Tony into a seated position.

"Thanks, boss."

Gibbs smiled. "I'm happy to help."

"What time is it?"

"Almost five-thirty. Why?"

"I'm hungry."

Ducky smiled along with Gibbs as he stood up. "I'll go and find you something to eat. Would you like me to take Abigail with me?"

"No, she's sleeping," said Tony. "Let her sleep."

Ducky nodded. He left the room, allowing Tony and Gibbs some privacy.

"You okay, Tony? You seem a little angry," said Gibbs.

"I'm not angry with you. It's just annoying that I can't do anything with my right hand, and it's hard to bend the fingers on my left hand while they're taped together."

"Maybe we can ask the doctor to take the tape off? Your fingers have healed, she just wanted to keep them protected while you were unconscious."

"I guess that would help a little."

"I know you're frustrated. But, we'll do the exercises that Dr Angliss gives you. Your hand will be better in no time. I'll make sure of it."

Tony nodded glumly. "Why me? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, Tony." Abby smiled as she came and joined him on the bed again. "She hurt you, and that wasn't fair. She chose to hurt you because she's an idiot."

Tony couldn't help smiling. Abby usually loved everyone, and always gave them second and third chances. She certainly hadn't done that this time.

"What happened to giving people another go?"

"I would, if you weren't my brother. I protect my family, Tony, you know that."

"I love you, Abbs." Tony reached out to her, and she quickly snuggled in beside him for a hug.

* * *

 **A/N: Abby has known Tony longer than she's known Kate, so it stands to reason that she would be more loyal to Tony, and that is the direction this story will continue in.**


	14. Three Days Later

Tony had been awake for three days now. He was getting bored in the ICU now that Gibbs had gone back to work, and Abby was busy with evidence from several cases. He had been visited twice by McGee in the previous couple of days, which had been nice- McGee gave him something new to talk about, since they didn't see each other too often. But his visits were short, due to work, and they always ended too quickly for Tony's liking.

"Hi, Tony," said Angliss as he came into the room.

"Hi."

"You ready to get up for a while? I spoke to Dr Swan, and she's agreed that you can get out of bed for a bit today. I figured we could get you into a wheelchair and take you outside for a while."

"What about all the machines?"

"We can attach the IV machine to the chair, and as for the rest of the machines, I think we should be able to take them off now. You've been awake for three days now, and you're only getting stronger each day. There's no need to keep you on them."

Tony smiled. The news was great in his mind. "Can we go then?"

"Sure." Angliss came over and disconnected all of the monitors. He moved the IV machine to the wheelchair he had brought in with him. "Ready to get up?"

Tony had already taken the blankets off and was sitting upright. "I am."

With a laugh at how eager Tony was, Angliss helped his patient stand up and take the two steps to the wheelchair.

"When we get outside, can I walk around instead of using the chair?"

"We'll see. I know that Dr Swan said you've been walking to the bathroom and back, but I need to make sure that you're safe too. Maybe you can walk to a table when we get to the doors."

"Thanks!" Tony made himself comfortable in the wheelchair and let Angliss put his blanket over his legs.

Angliss smiled. Tony was always so bubbly and happy, and willing to try anything he was given. He stepped behind the chair and pushed Tony out of the room. In less than five minutes, he was pushing Tony into a small courtyard on the ground floor of the hospital.

"Ready to walk to that table?" Angliss asked, pointing to an empty picnic bench.

"Yes." Tony got up slowly and put the blanket onto the wheelchair. He was wearing a dressing gown for warmth anyway, so he didn't need it.

"Whenever you're ready. I'm right behind you with the chair if you need it."

Tony nodded. He slowly made his way to the table, and, about half way there, he finally felt safe enough to walk properly.

"Good job, Tony. That was pretty amazing, especially since you've got such a bad head injury to deal with. I'm impressed."

"Does that mean my mobility isn't affected?"

"Your gross motor skills are fine. It's the fine motor ones that worry me. But, like I told you three days ago, we'll do some exercises to work on that. The more strength you get into your hand, for example, the better it will be for you."

"When can we start with these exercises?"

"Whenever you want to."

"So, like, now?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Maybe not right now. Don't you want to enjoy being out of that room?"

"I do, yes."

"Then let's spend a bit of time out here. When we go back upstairs, we'll start some exercises."

* * *

Tony was feeling better now. He had enjoyed being in the fresh air. Angliss had gotten his lunch delivered to him outside, and they had sat together to eat and talk about what they liked to do outside of work. Then they had been joined by another patient of Angliss', and the three of them had spent a bit of time together. The other patient had given Tony more hope than anything else could have- she had been in a much worse condition than he was, and she was almost back to work just a month later. Angliss had said he could go back to work once he was out of the hospital.

"Hey, Tony, are you in a dream world?" Angliss asked.

"Pardon?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, uh, I was thinking about that patient I met outside. She's nice. She's doing so well."

"She certainly is. You are too."

"Do you really think I can be out of here and back at work by next week?"

"Yes. You won't have completely healed by then, but you don't need to be out of work until you do heal. I can tell that you enjoy your work, and from what your boss has told me, you will heal better being in that environment than in hospital."

Tony smiled. "I can't wait for that."

"Let's get you started on these exercises. The quicker we do that, the quicker we can get you out of here."

The next hour was spent doing exercises that helped to give Tony's hand some strength. He had been lucky with his injuries- majority of them were already on the mend. By the time Angliss stopped him, Tony was feeling more confident. His fingers were bending slightly more than they had been, and he had been able to hold a pen normally too. It was a huge relief.

"Alright, Tony, before we finish for the day, I want you to write your name for me. Let's see how much improvement there is."

Tony took the paper and pen from his doctor. Concentrating hard, he managed to get the pen in his fingers by himself, and he found that he didn't have much trouble writing. The letters still looked sloppy and child-like, but it was an improvement from his first try.

"Great job, Tony. I'll leave you to rest, and I'll come in tomorrow to help with the exercises again." Angliss gave Tony a smile that Tony returned before he left.


	15. Back to Work

Tony was excited. Just over a week and a half ago, he had been injured at work. Seven days ago he had woken up in hospital and been told that he had serious injuries to recover from. Now, he was back at work and happy. He had been cleared for field work by both Edith and Angliss the previous Friday, and Ducky had given him the all clear the day before. He had to talk to Morrow before he would be allowed in the field again, but he knew that it was just a formality- the director had already said that as long as he had the medical clearance for it, there wouldn't be an issue.

"Tony! You're back!" Abby squealed as soon as the elevator opened.

Tony loved Abby. She had been there every day since he had been home, making sure he ate properly and did the exercises he was required to do. She looked after him in a way that he hadn't had since his mother's death, and, combined with the loving care he had been getting from his boss, Tony felt like he had a somewhat normal life.

"Morning, Abbs."

Abby engulfed him in a giant bear hug, then followed him to his desk like a puppy.

"Abby, don't you have work to do?" Gibbs asked as he entered the bull pen.

"But Tony's back. I want to spend time with him."

"You've been spending every day with him since last Wednesday. Give the guy some space to breathe. Let him come to you when he's ready."

Abby frowned and sighed dramatically. "Fine," she said, "but I'll be back later to make sure he eats his lunch."

Tony couldn't stop himself from laughing once Abby was gone. "You know, she really wasn't doing anything wrong."

"I know. But, if you aren't firm with her, she's going to hang onto you all day, Tony. Trust me, I've been in that position, and you really don't want her doing that." Gibbs smiled, glad that his agent was back with him. "You need to go and see Morrow. We've got to go soon and speak with witnesses."

Tony nodded. "Be right back, boss." He disappeared up the stairs and into the director's office.

Gibbs watched Tony go. He was so happy to have Tony back at work again, was so glad that Tony was well, even if he wasn't a hundred percent yet. It was just nice to have his team back together again, especially after what he had learned about Kate the previous week.

* * *

"Come on in, Tony," said Morrow a moment later. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I'm happy to be back at work."

"That's good. I have an email here from both of your doctors saying that you are good to go with field work. I spoke to Dr Mallard as well- he is happy to let you do your job, so long as you are careful."

"He said the same thing to me yesterday."

Morrow smiled. "Are you ready for field work?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes." Tony frowned. "What happened with Kate? Nobody will tell me anything."

Morrow hesitated. Gibbs had already mentioned that Tony was curious, but they weren't sure what to tell him. Truthfully, they didn't even know most of the reasoning behind her actions, and what they did know wouldn't suffice for long.

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"Sorry, Tony. Look, we want to give you answers, really, but we need the answers first. All we were told was that Kate has been under the influence of drugs for about a month, and that she wasn't answering to us anymore. Nobody will give us more answers than that, and we knew it wouldn't be enough for you. We wanted to give you the whole story."

"Drugs? That makes no sense. Something isn't right with that, Director."

"I know. I'm doing some digging, but I haven't gotten anywhere yet. I promise to let you know as soon as I know."

"Okay." Tony smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"Get back to work then, Tony." Morrow smiled and sent Tony on his way.

* * *

"How did it go up there?" Gibbs asked when Tony returned to the bull pen.

"Great. I knew already that the director was happy for me to be in the field, anyway."

"That's good. Let's get going. Those witnesses aren't going to be happy if we make them wait."

Tony smiled. He grabbed his backpack from his desk and walked out with Gibbs.

* * *

The witnesses were very forthcoming. Every one of the five people that had seen a car outside their apartment building the night a young woman was murdered in the empty apartment of a marine sergeant were able to describe it well. It was a black Chevy Impala with white stripes on both sides of the car. They had even gotten a registration plate from it. Tony was calling it in for a BOLO to be issued.

"Plates?" dispatch asked.

"Echo, Bravo, Echo, seven, one, eight, eight," Tony said, reading off his notes.

"Thank you, Agent DiNozzo. A BOLO has now been issued."

Tony hung up his phone and called his boss over. "BOLO's out. What do you want me to do now?"

It had become clear upon arrival at the apartment building that Tony's memory had been somewhat lost. He remembered most of what he knew, but there was doubt in the back of his mind that had made itself known. Tony had mentioned that he felt stupid for not remembering what his job was, but Gibbs had quickly squashed that doubt, reminding him that he had just come back to work after a horrific ordeal.

With a smile, Gibbs said, "nothing, bud. We're done here. Let's go."

Tony nodded. He was glad that his boss was still being caring now that he had returned to work.


	16. Daddy Gibbs Shows Himself Again

"Gibbs, what are we going to do about a third team member?" Tony asked as they drove back to the Navy yard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are we going to get a new team member?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't know, buddy, but if we do, I promise they won't turn out like Kate. And if they do, they'll be out of NCIS before anything can happen. I won't let you be hurt ever again."

Tony smiled. "I don't know if I want another partner, Gibbs."

"Why?" Gibbs asked, confused. Tony didn't sound worried or anything.

"I like working with you. I miss our partnership."

"You miss working long hours and being exhausted because it was just the two of us on the team?"

"Well, no. I miss it being just the two of us. We used to work so well together."

"We still work well together, pal. Nothing will change that."

"But it has changed. We don't go into the field together anymore. I know I'm the senior agent and that it's my job to train the probies, but I miss spending that time with you. I miss working with you. I miss being able to learn on the job."

Gibbs was surprised that Tony hadn't said anything before. "Where is this coming from? You've never been shy about telling me when you want something to change."

Tony shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it until Kate started being harsh. And then, after everything you did for me the last couple of weeks, I decided that I wanted that relationship back. The way you were caring for me in the hospital, the fact that you never left my side while I was unconscious, it gave me this really warm feeling. It reminded me of the feeling I used to get whenever I stayed at a friend's place as a child and their parents took care of me. You treated me like I was your son, and you never had to do that. I think I just wanted more of that feeling. It's really silly, I know."

"It isn't silly, Tony. You are allowed to enjoy being looked after. And, from what I know about your childhood, it's perfectly understandable that you want a father that loves you." Gibbs paused. "I love you, Tony. It has been a very long time since I've had someone to care for, and, even though it's not a great reason for it, now I have you to look after. I wish you had been my child when you were growing up, but you weren't. Now you can be my son, if you want to be."

Tony's eyes had lit up. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I would love to be, Gibbs. It would mean so much to me."

A smile lit up Gibbs' face too. He was watching Tony from the corner of his eye as he pulled into a parking space at NCIS, happy that he had given his young friend a reason to smile. Gibbs was well aware that Tony wasn't coping as well as he pretended to be with his injuries, so seeing him smile was reassuring.

"Tony, are you interested in coming up to see the director with me? I want to check on that third team member situation, maybe even see about getting two more agents, so that we have four people."

"Would four mean that we could work together again?" Tony asked, his voice so full of hope, that Gibbs felt his heart break for his sweet 'son'.

"Maybe not all the time, but yeah, we could work together." Gibbs smiled. "You really do want to be my partner all the time, don't you?"

Tony nodded. "It sort of makes me feel special, in a way," he admitted. "I've never had anything but a bad relationship with my bosses, and my colleagues. Except for Connors and Danny, nobody ever wanted to hang out with me. It's nice to finally have a boss that likes me."

Gibbs put his arm around Tony and gave him a quick hug. "You have so many friends here, bud. You just don't know it."

* * *

"Hi, Gibbs. Hello, Tony. What can I do for the two of you?" asked Morrow as he let the two agents in.

"We need to discuss our team situation. Tony and I are more than capable of working as a two-man team, but it's extremely taxing. I know that I'm not getting any younger, and this is beginning to take a toll. Tony's certainly not in any condition to be getting no sleep," said Gibbs.

"You want a third agent."

"Would it be possible to get two more agents? That way, our work is divided evenly, and everyone has a partner." Gibbs didn't mention Tony's request to work with him more, nor did he mention the fact that he wanted to partner with Tony more often as well.

"I can work something out. I can give you a third person right now, if you want. Agent McGee knows you both and has worked with the two of you before. He wants to be a field agent. I'd be happy if he could learn from the two of you."

Tony actually looked happy with that arrangement, so Gibbs nodded. "McGee's in, but only after I've spoken to him. And the fourth person will need to have a meeting with me as well before they join my team. I need to protect Tony from anything that could happen, especially if it's anything like what he's just endured, and what he still is going through."

"That's fine. I'll call Agent McGee up here after lunch. And I'll give FLETC a call to see if they have any available agents."

Gibbs nodded again. He gave Tony a smile as they stood to leave. "Tom, this fourth person must be completely vetted. I don't want any surprises like I had with Kate. Tony's not going to be put through the wringer ever again. And my decision still stands- if anyone needs to be moved off the team, it will not be Tony."

"I know. Trust me, everyone knows that Tony isn't going anywhere."

* * *

Lunch was somewhat quiet. Tony was lost in his thoughts, and Gibbs couldn't help watching his agent the whole time. There was just something about Tony- something special- and Gibbs wanted to know what it was. He had been trying to figure it out ever since they had met, and he thought that maybe he finally had. Tony had been through hell as a child, and his adult life wasn't much better. But, no matter what was thrown his way, Tony persevered and always managed to come through it. He was certainly a strong man, but he was kind and caring. Nothing had changed that yet, and Gibbs knew that nothing ever would.

"Boss? Is something wrong?"

Gibbs startled out of his thoughts to find Tony staring at him worriedly. He smiled and shook his head. "No, Tony. What's going on?"

"The waiter wants your order." Tony gestured at the young man that had appeared at the table.

"Sorry." Gibbs gave the teenager a smile and placed his order.

"Gibbs, are you okay?"

"Yeah, bud, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing important. How are you feeling? It must have been a long morning for you."

"I'm fine. I don't need to go home, if that's what you're thinking."

"You'll let me know if you've had enough?"

"Of course." Tony smiled. "I'm so happy to be back. I really missed being at work."

"I know. You've been nagging me to let you come back for almost two weeks."

"I was bored."

Gibbs laughed. "Trust me, I know you were."

Tony grinned as the waiter brought their food over. They were at the diner, but it felt like a restaurant after all the time Tony had spent in hospital and at home recently.

"Morrow wants me in his office at three this afternoon," said Gibbs as he checked his buzzing phone a minute later. "Want to come?"

"What does he want?"

"He's giving me some time to talk with McGee. Sort of like an interview."

"You never interviewed me."

"That's because I already knew how you worked and what you were like."

Tony nodded. "I'll come," he said.

Gibbs smiled, glad that Tony was a little more open and relaxed now.


	17. Helpful Friends

After lunch, Gibbs decided that he would give Tony a break from work while he went to see Morrow and McGee upstairs. He hadn't lied to Tony at the diner about the interview with McGee, but he also hadn't given him the rest of the details in Morrow's message to him. The director had said that he could come up and speak to McGee privately when he returned from lunch, and Gibbs didn't want Tony to hear anything he was going to say. It was hard enough to get Tony to cheer up after hearing what Kate had said, and that was nothing compared to this. The only difference was that Gibbs wasn't being mean- he was doing this to protect his best friend from further harm.

"Tony, I need to go and take care of something, alright?" said Gibbs when they got back to work.

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Join Abby in her lab and see if she needs help with any cases. And check the BOLO while you're at it. Just remember to not let Abby cling to you."

"Where will you be?"

"If you need anything, and Abby or Ducky are unavailable, call my cell. I'll be starting in MTAC, but I don't know if I'll be moving around. At three o'clock, meet me in the director's office. Are you comfortable with that?"

Tony nodded, excited at the prospect of spending an afternoon with his best friend. He smiled happily as he sat down at his desk to check the BOLO they had issued that morning.

Gibbs watched Tony for a moment, glad to see him smiling. He had the same sweet, innocent expression on his face that he had had just before he had lost consciousness when Kate had tripped him. Except, this time, the expression didn't worry him. It made him feel better, knowing that his young agent was in a good way.

* * *

Tony was still feeling warm from spending lunch with Gibbs. He enjoyed the chance to spend time with his boss, because it was something rare. And he was so happy that Gibbs was giving him the afternoon off to spend it with Abby. He loved spending time with Abby. And he didn't want it to be interrupted either, so he was quickly checking the BOLO he had put out that morning.

"Why won't this computer work?" Tony wondered aloud as he tried to open the BOLO.

"Tony, are you okay?"

Tony looked up to find Connors standing in front of him. "I'm fine. I just can't get the stupid BOLO to open."

Connors came around the desk and stood beside Tony. He knew that Tony had been struggling a little that morning, so he had come over the moment he heard Tony's frustrated tone.

"Let me try," said Connors. He took the mouse from his friend and double clicked the BOLO icon. Nothing happened. "Are you logged onto the computer?"

"Of course."

"When did you log in?"

"This morning."

"You haven't logged in since you came back from lunch?"

Tony shook his head, feeling stupid. Of course he had to log back in. The system would have logged him off since the last use of his computer early that morning.

"Okay. Let's log back in and try again." Connors opened the log in box. "Put your ID and password in, Tony."

Sighing, Tony entered his password and waited while he was logged onto the system. "I can't believe I forgot to sign in."

"It happens. Do you know how many times I forget that I haven't logged back into the computer? Or how many times I've forgotten to log out on one computer then tried to get in on another?"

"Sam, I know all of this stuff. It's been the same thing everywhere I've worked. How can it be possible that I keep forgetting after eight years?"

"It's possible because of what Kate caused. That head injury hasn't finished healing yet, Tony."

"It's dumb."

"No, it is not dumb. It's normal to have problems like this. And it is perfectly normal to forget simple things after such an injury. Don't beat yourself up over something that isn't even your fault." Connors gave his friend a smile. "If it was really a concern to anyone, Morrow would have made you take leave."

"I can't remember simple things. I can't write properly yet, despite all the strength exercises I'm doing. I can barely do anything with my right hand. It sucks."

"Yes, it does. But you are going to get through this. You will be okay in time. You just need to remember that. And every one of us are here to help, no matter how silly the task might seem."

Tony nodded. "I guess," he said glumly. "Thanks for helping."

"I don't mind. I kind of miss working with you every day, hearing some joke or about some girl you have a crush on. I don't know what Kate's problem is, but she's nuts for thinking you're annoying."

Tony actually smiled at that. "You hated my jokes. You always said they were bad."

"Okay, that's a pretty good point. But, I still enjoyed them. Nobody else would ever have thought of them."

Tony laughed. "Thanks, Sam," he said sarcastically.

* * *

Abby was busy running tests when Tony entered her lab, but she gave him a smile anyway. After all, Tony was her best friend and her 'brother'. She loved him dearly.

"Hey, Tony. How are you? Is Gibbs being nice?" Abby asked.

"Gibbs is great. It's nice to have him still care now that I'm back at work. What are you doing?"

"Just running a couple of blood tests for Morrow."

"Morrow's the director, Abby."

"I know. It's some sort of special project or something. He won't tell me who the blood belongs to, and forbade me from doing any DNA testing."

"Must be top-secret. You want any help?"

"Not with this. I don't have anything to do with it until the results come through. But you can help with my birthday plans for one of my nun friends."

"What are you planning?"

"Bowling party."

"Bowling? For a nun?"

"Yep. I bowl with nuns every Saturday night. Maybe you can come this weekend and watch?"

"Sure. I'd love to see that one. When's this party for?" Tony joined Abby at her desk, where she showed him the invitations she had created.

"McGee helped me make them."

"They're pretty."

Abby smiled. She had gotten embossed paper to make the invites on, making sure they were the same colours as the bowling team's uniforms. She wanted to have a running theme.

"What do you need me to do?" Tony asked.

"You can help me with creating a menu. I have the list of foods that the bowling alley can make, so we have to pick what we want."


	18. Filling McGee In

Gibbs found Morrow in his office. McGee was sitting at the conference table with him, looking terrified.

"Agent Gibbs," said Morrow. "You wanted to talk to Agent McGee. Where's Tony?"

"With Abby. I don't want him to hear anything I'm going to say. He'll be up later to join the interview," answered Gibbs. "McGee, you aren't in trouble. I just need to discuss something with you before I officially offer you a place on my team."

"What happened to Kate?" McGee asked.

"She decided to hurt one of my people."

"I heard. I visited Tony a couple of times in the hospital. How is he?"

"He's coping." Gibbs wasn't going to mention anything about Tony's condition yet. He had already informed Morrow of Tony's memory problems, and both had agreed that it wasn't enough to put Tony on mandatory leave.

"Okay. What did you want to talk about?"

"Are you interested in being a field agent?"

"Definitely."

"On my team?"

"Yes."

"Before I can have you on the team, McGee, I need to be sure that you understand something."

"Anything."

"Firstly, Tony is my number one priority. Not just because of what he's gone through at Kate's hands, but because of what I know about him. That will never change. It doesn't mean that I don't care about the rest of my team, because I do, but Tony will always get my attention."

"I understand that. From what Tony's told me about himself, it doesn't sound much like he had anyone to care for him properly until he met you."

"Good. Second, you'll hear a lot of things about me having a favourite agent, and you'll figure it out for yourself pretty quickly. Tony is my favourite agent, and I highly doubt that's going to change. Tony and I spent two years working together, alone, before Kate joined us. In that time, we developed a good relationship, and that's not going to change. We'll always have a strong relationship." Gibbs smiled. "You get that, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Now that you understand all of that, there's something you need to know about Tony. It's not something Tony is aware that his teammates know about, and you are forbidden to mention any of this to him, or anyone else. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

Gibbs nodded. He took a deep breath, glanced at Morrow, who nodded at him to continue. "Okay. Tony's never had a stable support in his life. He's never really had any support at all. His childhood was messed up, to say the least. The only person that really cared about Tony was his mother, and that was only when she wasn't drunk. Unfortunately, she was drunk most of the time. When Tony was eight, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and, between the drinking and abuse she received from her husband, she couldn't get better. She died after battling the disease for two years. Tony was with her when she died at the hospital."

"It's no wonder he hates being in the hospital," said McGee softly. He already felt bad for Tony, and he knew that he hadn't heard everything.

"When Tony's mother died, he was left in the sole custody of his father. Tony was ten at the time, and well aware of what was right and wrong. He begged the judge to take him away from his father, but nobody was interested in listening to a ten-year old's unfounded accusations of abuse and neglect. His father spent the following two years beating him and neglecting him. He would go days without food or water, and nothing was ever done about it. After his twelfth birthday, Tony was sent to boarding school. He was a quiet child, one that got picked on and beat up. After three different boarding schools in two years, Tony started feeling like he was bad. He started acting out, never anything illegal, just against the school rules. His father finally had enough after another four schools in three years, so, when Tony was seventeen and in his senior year, his father sent him to military school. It started off as a hard place for him, mainly because he was bullied still, but, after he joined the basketball team, Tony turned things around. It was the first home he truly had. He got the second highest marks of his senior classes and went to Ohio State. College was the first place Tony had friends. Unfortunately, it didn't last for him. After he got his degree, he joined the police academy and started working in Peoria. The three jobs he held before coming to NCIS were just as bad as his childhood, just without the constant beatings. NCIS is his home- his words, not mine- and it's the one place he feels safe."

"Does he still feel safe after what Kate did to him?"

"Somehow, yes. I want it to stay that way. Tony knows I'm here for him, knows he can come to me. But, if you can gain his trust and develop a friendship with him, don't be surprised if Tony comes knocking on your door in the middle of the night for advice or company."

McGee nodded. "I understand. I promise that none of this will get out."

Gibbs smiled. "I know you won't say anything. But, know this. If you hurt Tony in any way, I'll make sure you regret it. Accidents happen, but anything that you do on purpose will be dealt with. I pray that you never turn out like Kate."

"Can I ask you something?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Why did Kate do that to Tony? I don't know him very well, but Tony's a nice guy. I'd like to be friends with him."

"We don't know yet. We'll get answers for Tony, but I'm sorry, there's no reason that we can see just now."

McGee nodded sadly. "Poor guy. He must be so upset over it."

"He is," said Gibbs just as the door opened.

* * *

Tony was really enjoying his time with Abby. They had decided on the menu already, and were now making a banner to hang in the bowling alley. Both had forgotten the blood tests that were running until the computer beeped.

"Results! Finally," said Abby as she and Tony went to the computer.

"What did you find?" asked Tony.

"I did a full panel. The blood is clean, except for one drug." Abby pointed at a tall line on the screen. "That drug is called Scopolamine. It makes you suggestable to anything, then twelve hours later, you develop amnesia from the drug period."

"That's not good, Abby."

"I need to tell the director…"

"Abbs? What's the matter?"

"I know who this blood is from."

"How?"

Abby pointed at the screen. "See that line?"

"Yeah."

"It's medication. I don't remember the name, but the only person that takes it is Kate."

"Abby."

"No, Tony. It's Kate. This medication needs to be adjusted to each person. Last time I did a blood test on Kate, this medication was in it. It's unique, no two people can have the same thing."

Tony swallowed hard. Fear started bubbling up inside him, and he ran from the room, clutching the printout from Abby.


	19. Helpful McGee

"Tony? What's the matter?" Gibbs asked, seeing that it wasn't three pm and Tony looked scared.

Tony's hand shook slightly when he handed the paper from Abby to Morrow. His fear was still too high for him to speak without crying.

"Is this from Abby?" Morrow asked as he read the results and Abby's translation.

Tony sniffled as he nodded. "She said she knows who the blood belongs to. I need her to be wrong about the person," Tony said quietly.

"Sorry, Tony. I needed answers, and nobody was giving them to me. I took it into my own hands. It wasn't meant for you to see, not until I knew what I was dealing with," said Morrow. "Kate's blood test was done in private, and I never told Abby who it belonged to. I told her not to check that."

"She didn't check. She figured it out through the medication she found." Tears were streaming down Tony's face. "She really was drugged."

Gibbs came over to Tony. He put an arm around Tony's shoulders and guided him to the conference table. He had forgotten about McGee, his focus completely on Tony. After a gentle hug, Gibbs handed some tissues to his young friend.

"Whether she was drugged or not, Tony, she's still culpable. She knew that she was doing the wrong thing," said Gibbs softly.

Tony shook his head again. "Abby said the drug makes you suggestable. It lasts for twelve hours, and the person doesn't remember anything from that period afterwards. She can't be held accountable."

"She can, and she will be." Morrow gave Tony a smile. "This blood was taken a day after she hurt you. Abby's written here that the levels of the drug were too high for it to have been there at the time she hurt you. She may have been drugged the first time she was mean to you, but she was definitely doing what she wanted to do. There was no way that she could have been drugged at the time, and I'll have people to back that."

Tony's body shook as Morrow spoke. He was leaning into Gibbs as much as he could, but he couldn't calm down. How could Kate do something so mean to him? Why would she do something so mean in the first place?

"Bud, it's going to be alright," said Gibbs softly. "You're safe. I won't let anybody hurt you again."

Tony nodded. He stayed stuck to his boss though.

"Tony?"

The quiet voice was kind and caring, and caught Tony's attention. He looked up to find McGee giving him a smile.

"You'll be just fine, I promise. Nobody is going to get anywhere near you. I can protect you."

Tony smiled a little. "Thank you, McGee," he said quietly.

McGee smiled again. "Do you want to get some air? I need a coffee before my interview with Gibbs."

Tony shrugged but nodded. He glanced at Gibbs, found the older man smiling at him, and stood to follow McGee out of the director's office.

* * *

Tony felt a little better once McGee led him into the fresh air outside the NCIS building. Morrow's explanation of how Kate was still responsible for her actions made sense now- the people drugging Kate, if that was even how things were working, had probably drugged her afterwards to provide reasonable doubt.

"Do you want some coffee, Tony?" McGee was asking him.

"No. I think I feel a little better now. Thanks anyway," said Tony.

McGee nodded. He walked away for a moment, then came back carrying a coffee cup and a paper bag.

"What's in there?" Tony asked, eyeing the bag.

"Powdered donuts. Want one?"

Tony smiled for a moment, then remembered the last time he had eaten one of those donuts. That was where this had all started, where Kate had started being so mean.

"No thanks," he said, feeling slightly scared that McGee would turn out like Kate.

"Are you sure? I've seen you eating these, so I know you like them. I got enough for both of us to eat," said McGee, thinking he had given Tony the impression that he would need to get more if Tony had one.

"I'm sure. You have them."

"You okay, Tony? You look worried again."

Tony looked up at McGee. He could see the younger man was truly concerned about him, and he sounded so sincere. He wondered if he could trust McGee.

"Tony? What's wrong? Should I call Agent Gibbs?"

Tony shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything. I was thinking about something."

"About what?"

"Kate. She was teasing me because I was eating one of those donuts. That's where all of this started."

"You don't think…?" McGee asked, realising what was wrong with Tony. "I'm not going to tease you Tony. I'm in no position to tease you, anyway. I weigh more than you do."

"I know that, but it doesn't mean anything. There were a lot of things Kate would make fun of me for where she was absolutely no better. Why should you be any different?"

McGee nodded. "I understand that. But, I'm going to tell you something. When I was in school, I would be teased all the time. Sometimes, it was over my weight, other times was because I was smart. I had no friends. But, look at me now. I work for a federal agency, and, depending on my interview in half an hour's time, I'm going to be a field agent. When I see people from school, I tell them where I work, and they look at me like they're terrified all of a sudden."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, I've been in your position before. Maybe not medically, but I've been bullied all my life. I know what it feels like, and I would never do that to someone else. I made a promise to Gibbs before you came into the director's office that I would never hurt you in any way, and I plan to keep that promise."

"Gibbs was talking about me?" Tony asked in confusion.

"No. I was speaking to the director about my interview with Gibbs when he came in, and I blurted it out. Most of the agency knows about you and what Kate did to you, including me, and I couldn't help telling Gibbs that I wouldn't hurt you. I really want to be in the field, and I wanted Gibbs to know that I would be a great partner."

Tony smiled. "Thank you, McGee. It means a lot to know that you care."

McGee dropped the subject and wordlessly handed the paper bag to Tony. Together, they sat in silence, eating the donuts McGee had bought.


	20. McGee's Interview

Gibbs had been surprised by McGee's quiet offer of help to Tony. But he was even more surprised by Tony's response. He had been expecting Tony to cling to him, maybe to even try and shy away from McGee. So, when Tony had agreed to go outside for a while with McGee, Gibbs felt somewhat shocked. He was relieved that Tony felt somewhat safe with McGee, because, as much as Gibbs loved Tony, he wasn't sure he could help Tony anymore. He didn't know how to help- he had never had to go through anything remotely like this with Kelly, and the agents he had had before Tony had never had problems like this.

"Gibbs, it's almost ten past three. Where did McGee and Tony disappear to?" asked Morrow, bringing Gibbs out of his thoughts.

"It's okay. I'm not really interested in doing an interview. Tony pretty much told me that McGee would be a good fit already, and with the way that McGee stepped up to help Tony just now, I know that he's perfect," answered Gibbs. "I can see how much he cares for Tony."

"You still have to do the interview. I only let you avoid it with Tony because he was already a cop and you had worked a case in the field with him."

Gibbs nodded. "That's fine. I might actually go find McGee and Tony…"

"We're here, boss," said Tony from behind him.

Gibbs smiled when he turned around. Tony looked a lot happier than he had forty minutes earlier. "Come and sit with me, Tony. You can help me interview McGee. It'll give you some practice for when you eventually become a team leader."

Tony frowned as he sat next to Gibbs. "Do we have to interview him? McGee is perfect for our team. Can't you just hire him?"

"Apparently not. I am supposed to interview him first. Tell me, do you think you can work alongside McGee?"

"Definitely."

"And you feel comfortable around him? Safe?"

"Yes."

Gibbs nodded, relieved. "Good. McGee, do you know what we do as the Major Case Response Team?"

"I do, Agent Gibbs," said McGee. "You respond to crime scenes and work those cases. I'm willing to do that."

"Are you willing to learn?"

"Yes."

"And are you willing to work overtime if required?"

"Of course."

"You understand that the MCRT is a full on job? It isn't like working in the basement doing computer crimes."

"I know that."

Gibbs nodded, satisfied. "Well, I am happy for you to be on the team, McGee, but you are going to have to work hard. You'll start tomorrow at nine am. That will give you time to get your belongings from your desk in Cyber Crimes and organise your desk in the bull pen. After that, you will be required to start at eight am. We alternate weekends with three other teams, so once a month, you will be required to work or be on call during the weekend. Our team is working this weekend and next weekend because I switched weekends with another team while Tony was in hospital."

"That's fine. I don't have any plans."

"Then, welcome to the MCRT. You already know everyone that works on the team. We will have a fourth person in the near future, but, for now, it's just the three of us."

"Who is my partner then?"

"You will partner with me or Tony, depending on the case and what the other person is doing. Tony is the senior agent on the team, so training you will fall to him, but, until he's recovered properly, I'll be doing the majority of your training."

McGee nodded. He felt a little scared to be trained by Gibbs, but he knew that he had no choice. First, Gibbs was the boss, and what he said is what would happen. Secondly, Tony was in no shape to be training anyone at the moment- he wasn't supposed to be doing too much strenuous activity for another week.

"Tony, do you have any questions for McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"No. I kind of already asked. Well, McGee sort of read my thoughts a little, and answered any questions I had."

* * *

Gibbs led Tony down to Abby's lab, looking for clarification on the blood panel she had run. He wanted to be damn sure that it was Kate's blood before he went to her holding cell and confronted her.

"Hi, Gibbs! Is Tony with you? He ran out of here earlier. He looked afraid," babbled Abby.

"Tony's alright, Abbs. He was a little scared, but, considering what you guys found out, it's no surprise. He's feeling better now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. McGee took him to get some air, and they spent some time together."

"Does that mean you like Timmy?"

"He'll be joining our team tomorrow."

"YAY! Wait, where's Tony?"

"I'm here, Abby," said Tony. He stepped into the lab, putting his phone back into his pocket. "Gibbs, we may need McGee now. We just got a case."

"The case will have to wait."

"This is coming from the SECNAV. He said it's urgent that we get down there."

Gibbs sighed. "Fine. Go get the car and bring it around the front. I'll meet you down there."

"You aren't driving?"

"Not today."

Tony grinned and ran from the lab, not wanting Gibbs to change his mind.

"Abby, I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, Gibbs."

"That blood panel you ran for Morrow? Do you still have enough blood for a DNA test?"

"Yes."

"Run a DNA test. I need to be sure that the blood is Kate's before I confront her. And, don't tell Tony unless you have absolutely no choice. He's going through enough already."

"Okay. Gibbs? Look after Tony. I don't want him hurt again."

Gibbs nodded as he walked out and headed for the car Tony was no doubt waiting in.


	21. Escaped

Tony pulled their hired car up to the parking lot of Guantanamo Bay and got out. He followed Gibbs into the reception area, his anxiety increasing with each passing minute. His gut was telling him that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out.

After being searched and issued passes, Gibbs and Tony were led through the prison to the women's section. The cells were empty and open, all the women were gathered in a conference room, awaiting instructions from the guards.

"This is her cell. She escaped sometime this morning, during their outdoor time. We aren't sure how it happened, and we figured that you would want to know about it," a guard told Gibbs.

"Who is she?" Gibbs asked.

"Caitlyn Todd."

Tony paled the instant the guard spoke. Now he knew why his gut was telling him something was wrong- the person responsible for his injuries was on the loose. All of a sudden, the room was spinning and Tony felt himself falling. His vision had blurred and he was finding it difficult to breathe.

* * *

Gibbs heard something heavy hit the ground behind him, so he turned. Shock was the first thing he felt when he realised that it was Tony that had fallen. Quickly dropping to his knees next to his agent, Gibbs put a hand on his neck and felt a strong pulse. Relieved, he sent the guard to get some water.

"Tony, can you hear me?" Gibbs asked softly.

Tony just nodded, and Gibbs realised that he was breathing heavily. With that realisation, Gibbs flashed back on something Ducky had once told him- heavy breathing, dizziness and shock all can combine to make a panic attack.

"Tony, pal, listen to me. It's okay. I won't let her anywhere near you, and I won't let her hurt you. Everything will be okay," Gibbs whispered over and over until Tony calmed down again.

"Boss?" Tony asked, his face red from embarrassment.

"It's okay, bud. Are you alright?"

Tony nodded. "Sorry about that."

"It isn't your fault. We should have known who the escapee was before coming here. The case shouldn't really be ours anyway. Do you want off the case? I'll speak with Morrow about it."

"Not yet. I want to at least see this part through."

"Alright. We'll process the scene, then head back to NCIS. I'll call Morrow and let him know I want to speak with the SECNAV immediately upon our return." Gibbs gave Tony a smile and helped to his feet.

"Here you go, Agent DiNozzo," said the just returned guard as he handed a bottle of water to Tony.

"Thank you," said Tony. He drank some water, then turned to the cell they were standing in front of. "How did she escape?"

"We don't know. We found a hole in the cell wall, beneath the bed, but it isn't big enough for a person to fit through."

"We'll need to investigate this. You should leave the other women out of their cells until we clear everything, and we'll need to interview everyone- guards and inmates, as well as visitors that were here at the time."

"I'll get you a list of visitors, and any that are still here, I'll have them detained until you speak to them. You have free run in here to search. The inmates will wait until you are ready."

Tony nodded in relief, then followed Gibbs into Kate's cell. Shivers went down his spine after he found a notebook on one of the bunks. It was filled with pictures and entries, all detailing how much she was going to make Tony and Gibbs pay for her being imprisoned.

"Put it in the evidence bag, Tony," said Gibbs quietly. "Reading it will only hurt you."

Tony nodded slowly, but he couldn't take his eyes off the book in his gloved hand.

"Tony? You okay?"

"I… I can't…"

"Alright." Gibbs gently pried the notebook from Tony's hand and put it into an evidence bag. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry, Tony. You don't have a reason to be sorry. Just keep searching."

* * *

Half an hour later, Gibbs and Tony had searched the cell from top to bottom. Kate didn't have a cellmate yet, so there hadn't been much to go through. Other than the notebook, they hadn't found anything remotely capable of helping someone escape a heavily guarded prison.

"Should we interview people now?" Tony asked.

"Yes. The guard said all the inmates were in a conference room down the hall from where we checked in. We'll take two at a time and interview them separately. Are you okay to do that?"

Tony nodded, but he was frowning.

"Bud, if you can't do it, just tell me. There's nothing wrong with needing help."

"I don't remember what to ask."

"We haven't discussed that. Just ask about Kate. Ask about what she was like in here, whether she had any friends or enemies. If she told anyone anything about how she was going to escape. Note down what they tell you. We can always call them back if needed."

"Where will you be?"

"In the same room, but on the opposite side. And a couple of guards are always present, so you don't need to worry about anything."

Tony relaxed a little. "Alright. I can do that."

"If you need me, just call me over. It'll be fine."

Tony nodded and gave Gibbs a smile. "Thank you."

* * *

Five minutes later, Gibbs and Tony were seated in the cafeteria with two prisoners. It was quiet, the only noise they heard was the occasional shout from the conference room next door.

"Ms Williams," said Tony after a quick glance at the file in his hand. "You were in the neighbouring cell to Caitlyn Todd. Did you ever speak to her?"

"No. She's a cop. Or, well, she was a cop. I heard she nearly killed one of her co-workers. I don't like the cops, but I'm not stupid enough to kill one. She must be nuts."

"Okay. Did you see her talking to anyone?"

"One person. She's the newest inmate, doesn't know Todd is a former cop. She wanted a friend."

"Who is this person?"

"Her name is Joanne. Not sure on the last name. Last I saw them together, they looked pretty cosy. They were talking about some guy named Tony. That's all I heard."

Ignoring the comment about who was the subject of the conversation, Tony asked, "did she have any visitors at all in the time she was here?"

"One. A guy in a suit. I thought he was her lawyer at first, but then I saw a file in his hand. There was a stamp on it that said 'classified' and I saw an ID badge. He was definitely some type of law enforcement person."

"Thank you." Tony noted down that a federal agent had visited Kate. "Did Caitlyn have any enemies?"

"In here? Not really. Most of us know she was a cop, but this section of the jail is for people that aren't in for long. None of us are willing to risk more of a sentence by killing someone."

"Alright. Thank you, Ms Williams. You can go back to your cell now." Tony nodded at a guard to take the woman away, then looked at Gibbs. "Boss? We have a problem."


	22. Clues

Gibbs sent his inmate off to her cell, then turned to watch Tony for a bit. He was impressed with the younger man's ability to distance himself from the interview- Gibbs hadn't been able to call Kate by her full name, though he had heard Tony do so. He watched happily as Tony asked several questions, making sure it related to the information he was receiving. The young agent had been worried for nothing- he was doing a brilliant job. Gibbs would have to remember to praise Tony when they were in the car again. He continued to watch as Tony jotted something down on his notepad that he always carried with him- a trait that he certainly shared- and return to the interview. When he saw that Tony was finished the interview, he turned back to the file in front of him. He didn't want Tony to feel like he was being scrutinised or anything.

"Boss? We have a problem."

Gibbs turned to look at Tony. He saw that Tony looked concerned, so he got up and joined his agent. "What's going on?"

"Kate got a visit from a fed. No clue about which agency, but it was definitely a federal agent."

"Okay. I'll go over the logs and see who visited her. Did she have other visitors?"

"No. She made friends with a new prisoner, Joanne. No last name. I can try talking to her."

"Good idea. Guard?"

"Yes, Agent Gibbs?" the same guard from earlier asked.

"How many inmates do you have with the first name Joanne?"

"Two."

"Which one is new to the prison?"

"Joanne Tule. Came in two days ago."

"We need to talk to her."

"I'll have someone bring her in. Do you want anyone else?"

"Not yet. I need to check the visitor logs first."

The guard nodded. He left the room with a second guard and came back a minute later with a woman that looked to be in her late fifties.

"This is Joanne Tule," the guard told Tony.

"Thank you. Ms Tule, have a seat," said Tony politely.

"This is about Kate, isn't it?" Joanne asked sadly.

"Yes. What can you tell me about Ms Todd?"

"Kate was a good friend. She treated me with respect, unlike everyone else in here. I was so upset when we heard that she had escaped."

"Did she ever mention wanting to escape?"

"No. I know she was upset that she was being blamed for almost murdering a guy, but she never said anything about trying to leave. She knew she was in a lot of trouble and looking at a long sentence- she didn't want to make it any worse."

"Did Ms Todd ever show you a journal or diary or notes of any kind?"

"Yeah. It was a notebook. She used it to write about her feelings."

"What kind of feelings?"

"Mostly, it was about how angry she was with some guy. Tony, I think was the name I read."

"Did she mention anything about her trial?"

"Just that she was looking for a good lawyer. She told me once that she was scared."

"Scared, why?"

"She couldn't remember doing what she was blamed for. Honestly, I think she did remember it, because she had written it in her book, in detail, and she talks in her sleep. I'm in the cell next to her."

"Did she say what she would do when she got out of here?"

"She wanted to track down the person that was responsible for her being arrested. She didn't say why, just that she wanted to know what she ever did to make him lie about her hurting him."

Tony took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Ms Tule, did you ever hear why she was in prison?"

"Not from Kate herself. There were rumours going around about her being a former federal agent, and that she had nearly killed her partner in front of people."

"Do you believe those rumours?"

"I believe that she was a federal agent, but I don't know about the rest. She was never violent towards anyone in here."

"The day that you got here, was that the same day you met Ms Todd?"

"Yes. She was nice to me, gave some pointers about life in here."

"Did she seem odd to you at all? Different to how she was the next day?"

"A little. She was quiet, but it was an eerie kind of quiet. Almost like she was out of it."

Tony nodded. He wrote down a few notes. "We heard that Ms Todd had a visitor. Did you see them?"

"Yes. He walked past my cell."

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"He was tall, about your height. He had dark brown, almost black hair. He was white, nearly pale, and had freckles covering most of his face. He was wearing a suit, sort of like the one you have on. He had a file in his hand, and I could see writing on it. I couldn't read it before he was past me though."

"Thank you." Tony wrote the description down. "Can you tell me anything else about Ms Todd?"

"I wish I could. I miss her. But, no, I don't know what else to say."

"Alright. Thank you, Ms Tule. You can go back to your cell now." Tony turned to the guard and indicated that he could take Joanne back.

"Good job with that interview, Tony. She trusts you completely," said Gibbs.

"Thanks, boss. Did you get anything from the logs?"

"I did. CIA Agent Charles Thomas visited Kate and they spent almost two hours together."

"We need to visit him, right now. I have a feeling that he has a huge part in her escape."

"So do I, Tony, so do I."


	23. Meeting with SECNAV

Tony sighed quietly as he got out of the car at NCIS. He had offered to track down the CIA agent while Gibbs spoke to Morrow and SECNAV, but Gibbs had insisted that Tony be with him for that conversation.

"Bud, are you alright? You've been very quiet the whole trip back from Gitmo," said Gibbs. "You always comment on my bad driving skills."

"Do I have to go to this meeting? I really don't feel comfortable."

"I know. You don't have to stay for the entire meeting. I just want the SECNAV to see what he's doing to you by forcing you to work this case."

Tony smiled. "That's mean, don't you think?"

"Not at all. What he's doing to you is mean. It isn't right that he's making you work on a case involving the person that almost killed you."

"Why do I get the feeling he doesn't care?"

"He probably doesn't. But, he will, when I finish with him."

Tony nodded reluctantly. "Okay. But I want to go and visit Abby afterwards."

"That's fine. You can check in on the DNA test she's running for me."

"What test?"

"The one on the blood she was testing for Morrow. I know who it belongs to, but I want to be sure before I do anything with it."

"Okay."

* * *

Tony settled into the chair next to Gibbs up in Morrow's office. He felt a little afraid- Morrow cared about him and was trying hard to watch out for him, but the SECNAV was a different story. Tony wasn't sure if he cared or not about how Tony was. He had been back at work for a day and a half now, but he was still having problems with his memory, so he wasn't sure about a lot of his job. Gibbs encouraged him to follow his instincts, so did Morrow and any other agents he worked with. Would SECNAV encourage him too? Or was he going to be mean and force Tony into leave until he got his memory back under control? Everyone knew SECNAV Williams was hard on the NCIS agents.

"Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo, thank you for going out to Guantanamo Bay yesterday," Williams said.

"It's our job," Gibbs told the SECNAV.

"Well, that is true…"

"What is not our job, however, is working on a case that is far too personal," Gibbs continued. "You know exactly why Caitlyn Todd is in prison. You know why Agent DiNozzo was on sick leave for the last two weeks. And you know they are directly related. Yet, you chose to give the case to my MCRT, knowing full well that Agent DiNozzo would have to work on the case with me. First, that is against the NCIS rules. Second, that is just cruel."

"Like I care? If DiNozzo wants to stay an NCIS agent, he will do his job, regardless of the case. And, while he's here, I may as well address something else. DiNozzo, if you continue to have problems remembering how to do your job, you won't have to worry about going on sick leave because I'll fire you."

Tony shrank back in his seat. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to forget anything," he mumbled fearfully.

"You are pathetic…"

"Shut the hell up, Williams!" shouted Gibbs. "Tony is not pathetic, nor is it his fault that his brain is still recovering from the brutal attack he suffered at Todd's hands! How dare you insult Tony? How dare you call him pathetic just because he got injured and now has to deal with the fallout? He is the bravest person I have ever met, and what are you? You are a jerk, and how you ever became the secretary of our beloved Navy, I will never know."

"Boss, I think I should leave," Tony said quietly. "I should go home."

"No, Tony. You are not going home," Gibbs said kindly. "This idiot can get the hell out before I punch his stupid face in. Nobody has the right to insult you."

"He's right…"

"No, he is not right, nor will he ever be right. You are a smart young man that is still learning, because we all continue to learn throughout life. You have closed more cases than any agent I have ever worked with, many of them without any help from anyone else. I don't believe that you can't do your job. I wish there were more agents like you- willing to help on any case, despite what it might do to you. I have never been more comfortable to work with a young agent, never felt safer than I do with you. I know that you will always protect me, and that makes my job so much easier."

"Gibbs is right, Tony," said Morrow. "You are an excellent young agent, one that I am sure will go very far in life. Don't let this jerk ruin things for you. I told you already, I don't have a problem with you being at work, no matter what injuries you are still recovering from. I am satisfied that you will be good to go at a moment's notice, just like you proved with the interview you did at Gitmo yesterday."

Tony smiled shyly. "Thank you, Director," he said softly.

"Go and see Abby, Tony. She should have those results by now," said Gibbs. "And put out that BOLO with the NCIS switchboard number. We can update that when the case is given to another team."

"Okay, boss." Tony stood and left as quickly as he could.

"Now, you, Williams, can sit down. I'm not done with you."

"Yeah, well, I have to get to a meeting…"

"I don't give a damn about your meeting! You just insulted my agent, and now you are going to damn well listen to me." Gibbs took a deep breath. "Because of you, now I have to fix the damage you created to my agent's self-esteem and confidence. He is one the best agents you are ever going to find, and I'll be damned if you think you can just toss him out like he's a piece of trash. Tony is the kindest man you're ever going to meet. He is loyal and friendly, even if he's uncomfortable. He just spent nearly a month being teased until he couldn't take it anymore. He ended up in the hospital for a week with head and facial injuries that required surgery to repair, and you basically told him that his injuries were nothing. I'd bet you would think differently if you were to swap places with Tony. I watched him go through treatment after treatment. I watched him endure pain no person should ever have to feel. I watched him cry because he was scared that he would never recover. I watched him work himself to the bone to bring himself back to the level of ability he was at before Agent Todd nearly killed him. I have had to wake him from nightmares countless times so that he wouldn't injure himself any further. Do you think that was easy for me to do? Do you think it was easy for Tony to go through? How do you think he feels, knowing that his boss can recount every part of those nightmares, even though I didn't dream them up?"

"I don't really care."

"I do. It's embarrassing for Tony to have to see me every day, knowing that I know what he's going through. But, he still continues to come in to work, to look me in the eye. He's a strong person, and you just took away the last of his confidence, the last bit of strength he had left." Shaking his head, Gibbs stood. "If you so much as speak to Agent DiNozzo, I will arrest you for harassment. Stay the hell away from him, or you will regret it."


	24. DNA Results

**A/N: This story is AU, and therefore, details don't need to be completely accurate. Gitmo is only accessible by air: I know that and if you read the story properly, you will see that Tony and Gibbs are using a rental car- something they would only need if they couldn't take their own car with them. Also, Kate may be not be a terrorist, but she's in a maximum security facility used for transfers- this probably doesn't exist in real life, but it does in my story, and I won't be changing it. As for the drugs, Kate is using them, and it will become clear, if you haven't already guessed, how she is receiving them and whether she knows it or not.**

* * *

Tony was relieved to find that Abby's lab was empty when he got down there. He couldn't face Abby's cheeriness right then- he needed some time to think and calm down. Going straight to the couch Abby had in her office, Tony closed his eyes and was asleep immediately.

* * *

Abby walked into her lab with the evidence Ducky had gotten off a body, not expecting to see anyone. When she stepped into her office to check her email, however, she spotted Tony sleeping on her couch. With a smile, Abby grabbed a blanket and gently covered Tony with it, tucking it in to make sure he was warm and secure. Then she stepped out into the lab again, and came face-to-face with an irate Gibbs.

"Abbs, where's Tony?" Gibbs asked as calmly as he could.

"Why?" Abby asked suspiciously.

"I need to check on him. Is he here?"

"He's sleeping. And it looks like he's been crying. What happened in Cuba, Gibbs?"

"Believe me, Abby, it isn't Gitmo that upset him. I need to talk to him, try and help him feel better."

"Who did make him upset?"

"SECNAV."

"Really? I could give the guy a piece of my mind, if you want."

"As much as I would enjoy watching that, Abby, I don't think it's a very good idea. He threatened to fire Tony because he's still recovering. He probably would fire you if you spoke to him in any way that remotely resembled anger."

"I can't believe he would be mean to my Tony."

"Me either, Abbs. If I had known he would say the things he said, I wouldn't have put Tony through that."

"It's not your fault, Gibbs." Abby turned to her computer. "Let him sleep some more. I got the DNA results you wanted. It's definitely Kate's blood."

"Good. When we find her, I'll use it to confront her."

"Do you think she'll come after Tony again?"

"I don't know. Without the drugs, Kate's not violent. But, if she's taken them again, or been forced to take them, then anything could happen. Tony's safety is my top priority right now, especially with a statement we got yesterday."

"What statement?"

"One of the inmates told Tony that Kate had mentioned wanting to find the person responsible for her going to jail."

"Why?"

"Don't know." Gibbs sighed as he looked into Abby's lab at Tony. "But, I'll be damned if I let anybody near him."

"He can stay with me, Gibbs."

"Thanks, but Tony will stay at my place again. He has a room already waiting, most of his belongings are still there. You can come and spend a couple of nights if you want to be near Tony."

Abby smiled. "I'll be there with bells on," she declared as she got to work on Ducky's evidence.

* * *

Tony woke up when he heard Abby's music. It was soft, which meant that she had found him, but it was still making his ears and his head hurt. He really didn't like her taste in music, but he wouldn't complain- there was no need to complain. He could just turn off the music and Abby wouldn't get upset with him.

"Good afternoon, Tony," said Abby as she came into her office. "You must have been really tired- you've been asleep since before lunch."

"What time is it?" Tony asked as he got to his feet.

"Two-thirty."

Tony groaned. He had forgotten about the BOLO Gibbs had asked him to put out.

"Don't worry, Gibbs knows you're here. He gave me the BOLO details and I've already put it out."

"Thank you. Where is Gibbs?"

"In the director's office. He said something about giving the case to another team."

"Okay." Tony closed his eyes for a second. "Abby? Do you think I'm doing a bad job in the last couple of days?"

"No. I think you're doing the best you can, and anyone that expects more from someone recovering from head injuries can go and get themselves shot."

"Abby?" Tony asked with a surprised smile.

"What? Gibbs told me that SECNAV upset you. I think he's an idiot for being so rude to you, and I think it's wrong of him, or anyone else for that matter, to think that you'll be able to do exactly the same things you were doing before you got hurt."

"Thanks, Abby." Tony smiled as he hugged his best friend.

"You are most welcome," Abby replied in her best impression of Ducky's Scottish accent.

Tony laughed. "You're so going to get caught doing that one of these days, you know?" He smiled happily for a moment. "I should go and see Gibbs."

"Okay. But come back afterwards," Abby called as Tony headed to the elevator.

* * *

Tony entered the director's office with a smile plastered on his face. He was still hurt, however, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide it from Gibbs for very long.

"Hey, Tony," said Gibbs softly as he beckoned for Tony to join him at the conference table. "Feeling any better?"

"A little." Tony looked at the phone in the middle of the table. It hadn't been there that morning. "What's going on?"

"We're waiting for a call back from the FBI. This case falls under their jurisdiction, but they want our input. I'm waiting for clearance from the director to only bring you in, Tony, if you want to be brought in," said Morrow. "I'm also waiting on a call back from the joint chiefs. I have a complaint to file on Gibbs' behalf, and yours too, I'm guessing."

"You can actually deal with the SECNAV?"

"Of course I can. He had no right to speak to you the way he did, and I won't let him get away with it. I called them as soon as he was gone this morning, but they haven't gotten back to me yet."

"What if he called them already?"

"It doesn't matter. They have no authority to fire anyone except the SECNAV, and if they even try to do anything to you, I'll put an end to it. I have no desire to see you get hurt again."

Tony smiled. "I believe you, but I don't understand why he did it. What did I ever do to him?"

Morrow hesitated with his answer, so Gibbs jumped in. "SECNAV Williams is Kate's godfather. That was how she got the job at NCIS so easily. The fact that she worked for the Secret Service helped a lot, but he pushed to get her in."

"Williams is Kate's godfather?" Tony asked incredulously. "How the hell is that fair?"

"It isn't, I know." Gibbs patted Tony's arm reassuringly. "He'll be in trouble for not disclosing that information anyway."


	25. Training part 1

Tony sat back in his seat, disbelief coursing through him. It was no wonder Williams hated him- after all, he was the reason that the SECNAV's goddaughter was in prison for attempted murder. But that still didn't give the guy a reason to belittle him and force him into working a case that he shouldn't be working on.

"Gibbs? Can you give the case to Fornell?" Tony asked.

"If you want me to. Why?" Gibbs answered.

"If I have to help out, then I want to feel comfortable."

"Alright. Fornell can have the case, and when you're ready to talk or help, you just let him know. If he tries to force you into anything, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Tony smiled a little. "Thanks, boss."

"Anytime," said Gibbs as the director's office phone rang.

"Morrow," the director said into the phone. "Thank you for getting back to me so quickly, Director. I've spoken with my agent, and it has been decided that he will help only if the case is given to Agent Fornell." Morrow rolled his eyes as he waited out the long, boring speech from his FBI counterpart. "Thank you, Director."

"Did that go well?" Gibbs asked once the director was finished on the phone.

"He'll send Fornell here now so you can read him into the case and give him the details he needs to know." Morrow shook his head. "That was, of course, after he gave me a long speech about how I now owe him, blah, blah, blah."

Tony and Gibbs both grinned. They thanked Morrow and left the office together.

* * *

McGee was relieved that Gibbs had given him some extra time to get his belongings together and move to his new desk in the bullpen. He was very nervous about joining Gibbs' team. The only thing that helped him feel better was Tony- knowing he had a friend to work with helped a lot more than anyone would ever know. But he knew that he was in for a long week. Gibbs had mentioned that he would provide on the job training, meaning McGee didn't have to go back to FLETC, but everyone knew what Gibbs was like when he trained new field agents. Surprisingly, at least to McGee, the only person that never had a bad word to say about the tough-as-nails agent was Tony. Tony constantly told McGee how much of a good guy Gibbs was, and how caring he could be. He always said that Gibbs was a big softie, despite his stony exterior. McGee certainly hoped that Tony was right about that.

"Tim? Are you listening?"

McGee jumped, having not heard his name being called. He turned around to find Tony looking at him with some concern.

"Sorry, Tony, I was lost in my thoughts. What were you saying?" McGee asked.

"I asked if you were alright. You look scared."

"I'm okay. Maybe a little nervous, I guess. Are you sure Gibbs is nice?"

"Very. He's been looking after me a lot lately, and he used to always be there for me before Kate joined us. Why do you ask?"

"He's going to train me…"

"So? He's the one that trained me, and still does occasionally."

"You're really good at your job."

"Because of Gibbs' training. Some of it may seem unnecessary, but when you are faced with life and death situations in the field, you'll be glad that Gibbs gave you all the extra training, believe me."

"You were a cop before you came to NCIS. You already had good training."

"Trust me, the training you get in the police academy is nothing compared to the training Gibbs gives you. Police training is quite different, though I guess it did give me a slight head start, since I knew the basics already."

"Do you think I'll be as good as you and Gibbs?"

"Of course, you just have to believe in yourself, Tim. The more you tell yourself that you can do it, the more you'll learn and remember. And, believe me, Gibbs is the best trainer you'll ever have."

"Aren't you going to train me too?"

"I am, but not for at least another week or two. McGee, listen to me when I tell you to take advantage of the training Gibbs provides, because I can't give you the same training. He combines his Marine training with traditional NCIS training. Why do you think he leads the main MCRT?" Tony smiled as Gibbs came into the bullpen with coffee. "Trust me, McGee, you'll be fine."

"Ready to start training, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

McGee hesitated for a second. "Yes, sir," he said.

"First piece of advice- don't call me sir. I work for a living. You will call me boss or Gibbs. Understood?"

"Yes, boss."

"Good. Follow me. You too, Tony."

Tony grinned. He pushed McGee ahead of him and they both followed their boss to the NCIS gym.

* * *

Gibbs sent McGee to get some boxing gloves for the two of them, then turned to find Tony standing next to the door, a haunted look on his face. He sighed sadly as he made his way over to his senior agent.

"Tony, you don't need to be afraid, bud. It's okay to be in here," Gibbs said quietly.

"I know that."

"Then tell me what's on your mind."

"I just remembered it. I know you told me what happened, but I actually remembered it when we came in. She tripped me over, and she thought it was funny. She was trying to hurt me. I don't get it, Gibbs. Even on those drugs, she wouldn't do something she didn't want to do. So why did she hurt me?"

"When we find her or that CIA agent, whoever comes first, I'll ask. But, until then, you need to remember that you're safe. Nobody is going to hurt you again."

Tony nodded. He smiled a little. "Thank you, boss."

Gibbs smiled back and pulled Tony into the gym. "You can watch what I do with McGee. Tell me what you think he needs the most training on after we finish, alright?"

"Okay." Tony sat on a bench near the boxing ring. "Don't be too hard on him. He's already a little afraid of you, Gibbs."

"I'll be kind," Gibbs snorted. He got into the boxing ring and took the gloves McGee offered. "Ever box before, McGee?"


	26. Training part 2

**Thank you to the guest reviewer, ncisfan, for trying to be kind with your review. I understand where all of these reviews are coming from, but there's no need to be nasty, and I appreciate that you, ncisfan, tried to write your review without being mean.**

 **With that being said, and in no way am I being rude to anyone, if you don't like this story, then please stop reading it. I appreciate all reviews, as I've said before, but there's no need for people to write mean things. If you want to provide feedback, that's fine, but it's completely different to calling someone's ideas wrong or completely uncalled for. There's no reason for anyone to say that, so if you can't be nice, whether the feedback is to commend or to point out a mistake, then please don't write anything.**

* * *

Tony watched with amusement as Gibbs easily beat McGee in the boxing ring. He no longer felt so stupid- at least he fought better than his new teammate. But, as far as Tony knew, nobody had ever beat Gibbs in boxing, and Tony highly doubted anyone ever would.

"What are you smirking at?" McGee asked miserably as he sat with Tony.

"You're worse than I am. I always thought that I was completely horrible when it came to boxing, but now I know it isn't just me," said Tony.

"Gibbs is really good at boxing. Where did he learn it?"

"Probably in the Marines."

"I learnt to box when I was a teenager. My father taught it to me," said Gibbs. "Tony, you up for a round in the ring with me?"

"Hell no!" Tony exclaimed. "Maybe in another week."

"Alright. Then let's get to the punching bags. You aren't getting out of training."

Tony nodded. "Punching bags are okay."

"Let's go. McGee, you can use the bags as well."

McGee sighed, but he followed Tony over to the opposite wall anyway. "Is he always like this?" McGee whispered to Tony.

"Yes. I told you he's the best boss you'll ever have."

"I'm not sure that's how I would describe him, but okay. I guess you could say he's the best boss."

Tony grinned as he put his boxing gloves on. "Trust me, McGee, he is the best. You won't find anyone like him, ever."

McGee nodded, but he didn't believe Tony all that much. Gibbs scared the living daylights out of him. He watched as Tony positioned himself in front of one of the punching bags. He could see the way Tony waited until Gibbs was behind the bag, holding it steady, and he could see how Tony easily pummelled the bag. The two agents clearly worked well together, and it gave McGee a feeling of slight jealousy. He hoped he could have a good relationship like that with Gibbs at some point.

* * *

Fornell was annoyed that he had been given another case to work. He already had seven open cases under his nose, and to top it off, this new case was supposed to take priority. He didn't even know what the case was about, just that it had something to do with an NCIS agent that his boss wouldn't name. He had been given a thin file by his boss half an hour before with the instruction that he was to go to NCIS that afternoon and speak with Director Morrow. It was already two pm, and his meeting was in an hour. He barely had time to get to the Navy Yard.

"Fornell, why are you still here? You need to be at NCIS in an hour!" said the director of the FBI. "Get out of here, now!"

"I'm going, sir," said Fornell irritably as he picked up the almost empty file and his jacket.

A couple of minutes later, Fornell was sitting in his car, waiting for a gap in the traffic so he could leave the parking garage. He sighed in annoyance as more cars passed by him, leaving him with no chance to drive out. His annoyance was reaching boiling point by the time he finally got out and joined the traffic turning towards the freeway.

* * *

Fornell was relieved to finally reach the Navy Yard. He quickly found a parking spot in the visitors' lot, got out, and made his way into the building. He flashed his FBI credentials to the security guards, though they already knew him, and was let in through the NCIS agents' side of security. He ran to catch the elevator that was just starting to close, then exited onto the third floor a minute later with two other men.

As Fornell passed by the bullpen, he glanced at the desks to find them empty. He knew that Kate had been fired and sent to prison for an almost fatal assault, though Gibbs had refused to give him details, and he knew that Tony had been sent to the hospital a couple of weeks ago after some incident during a case. He hadn't had the chance to check in with Gibbs yet, so he didn't know Tony was back at work, nor did he know the truth behind Tony's injuries and Kate's imprisonment. He didn't really care much anyway, but he wasn't a cruel man, and he hoped that Tony was alright.

"Agent Fornell, come in," said Morrow not even a minute later as Fornell knocked on his office door. "Have a seat."

Fornell sat at the conference table with the director of NCIS. He chucked the file onto the table.

"My boss told me that I had to get here to talk to you about this." Fornell pointed at the file. "Nobody will tell me what that case is about, they won't tell me which agent is involved in it. I'm supposed to be making this my priority, but it's hard to prioritise a case you know nothing about."

Morrow nodded. "I understand that you're frustrated. I asked your director to keep things quiet, though I thought he would have told you the details."

"Right," Fornell said sarcastically. "He doesn't say anything to anyone. We're meant to rely on the files we're given."

"Okay. Let me give you a quick rundown. Gibbs is on his way up with Agent DiNozzo to fill you in properly."

"Why is DiNutso involved in this? I thought he was on sick leave."

"Not anymore. He's been back for a couple of days." Morrow pulled a file of his own over. "You know that this has to do with an NCIS agent, right?"

"Yes."

"That agent is DiNozzo. He was injured a couple of weeks ago."

"I know that much. Gibbs told me about it."

"Did he tell you what actually happened?"

"He just said DiNutso was injured on the job and was taken to the hospital."

"Well, DiNozzo was severely injured by former agent Kate Todd. She tripped him up while he was running in the gym, causing him to fall flat on his face. He ended up with head and facial injuries, and is still recovering from the damage his brain received from the hard fall."

Fornell shook his head. "Poor guy," he said softly. "And he's already back at work? Isn't it too soon?"

"He's been cleared for field work by his doctors, so, no, it isn't too soon. But Gibbs is keeping a very close eye on him anyway."

"So why is this my case?"

"Tony is a fed, so this falls in the FBI's jurisdiction. Gibbs will explain more about that when he comes in. Bottom line is, however, Tony isn't comfortable talking to anyone else about what he went through. He's agreed to provide a statement, with the condition that you are the agent working this case. You are the only one he feels comfortable to talk to, and I wouldn't be surprised if the reason behind that is because you are friends with Gibbs."

Fornell sighed as he thought that over. He and Tony weren't friends, they didn't even get along that well, but if he trusted him above all other FBI agents, he would be nice and help out. Besides, he had a feeling that Gibbs would murder him if he was even the slightest bit nasty to Tony- he was well aware that the relationship between Tony and Gibbs was a special one.

"Okay. I'll work on the case. But I need a hell of a lot more information than I've got…"

"And you'll get it, Fornell. If you listen to Tony, anyway," said Gibbs as he and Tony entered the office for the third time that day.


	27. Kate Returns

"Gibbs, what can you tell me about this case? And why did I have to get if from NCIS if it's my jurisdiction?" Fornell asked, though his tone was far from angry.

"You got it from us because our SECNAV decided it would be alright to torture Tony," Gibbs said in disgust. "He'll be dealt with, but we aren't going to work this case."

"I agree that you won't work on it. But I will agree to you providing information when required. DiNutso, can you tell me what happened? From the beginning? What started this between you and Ms Todd?"

"It started with just teasing. I guess it did hurt a little when Kate was teasing me, but I would have forgiven her for it. But I didn't even have a chance to tell her that I forgave her before she tripped me," said Tony.

"Why did she trip you?"

"I don't know. Abby ran her blood and found drugs in it. Supposedly, the drugs can make you suggestable. But, I can't see Kate willingly taking drugs like that, or, for that matter, any drugs at all."

"Well, we should be able to check into the drugs easily. Where is Ms Todd?"

"We don't know," said Gibbs. "She was in Gitmo, but she escaped."

"Why Gitmo?"

"Because we needed a maximum security prison and they were the only ones willing to take a federal agent at the time. We made it clear that she's not a terrorist or anything like that, and that we only wanted her there until her trial."

"How did she escape? Gitmo is a little hard to escape from."

"We're guessing she had help. A CIA agent was seen at the prison in her cell. We have a BOLO out on him with the NCIS switchboard number, but we can change the number now that you've got the case."

"The number's already been changed," said Morrow from his computer. "Any calls about that agent will come through to you, Agent Fornell…"

"Director, sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation on the third floor," said Morrow's assistant.

"What kind of situation?"

"Uh, I'm not really sure. Agent McGee called up to say that he needed Agent Gibbs urgently, and a few other agents have also called for assistance from you."

"Okay. Gibbs, let's go. Tony, can you finish filling in Agent Fornell for us?"

Tony nodded. He took a deep breath and tried to look at Fornell, but he suddenly felt very afraid.

* * *

Gibbs and Morrow were both surprised when they entered the bullpen. Neither had expected to see Kate there, being restrained by McGee and another agent. People were staring, many with anger or hatred, at Kate. They loved Tony, always had, despite him annoying them all the time, and they were angry that she had hurt their friend.

"Ms Todd, what are you doing here?" Morrow asked.

"I'm here to turn myself in," said Kate. "I want to make a confession please."

"Very well. Agent Fornell will question you in one of the interrogation rooms. Agent McGee, escort Ms Todd to the interrogation room, please."

McGee looked nervous, so Gibbs stepped in. "I'll take her. Get Fornell down there before I decide to interrogate her myself."

"McGee, go and get Agent Fornell from my office please. And take Agent DiNozzo out for a coffee or a snack or something. I don't want him anywhere near her," said Morrow as he followed Gibbs purely to make sure he didn't hurt Kate.

* * *

Tony and Fornell couldn't stop themselves from stepping out of Morrow's office to see what was happening once Gibbs and the director had left. Fornell was amazed at Kate's bravery in coming to NCIS, but Tony shrunk back, worried. He couldn't help thinking that maybe she was there to hurt him again. He felt his stomach churning, which, in turn, made him feel unwell.

"DiNutso, do you want to go back into the office?" Fornell asked when he noticed that Tony seemed to be afraid.

"Uh, no. I think I need to go…" Tony said distractedly as he retreated towards the MTAC door.

Fornell sighed. "Okay. I'll let Agent McGee know where to find you while I help Gibbs. Are you okay alone?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tony turned and let the iris scanner read his eye, then quickly went into MTAC.

Fornell groaned. He had gotten Tony to talk a little more once they were alone, and he had seemed to be a little more comfortable. But he wasn't now. Seeing Kate had really screwed with him. As much as he didn't get along with Tony, there was no way that Fornell would let something like this hurt the young man. He was going to end it, once and for all.

* * *

McGee gave Fornell a smile as he passed him on the staircase. "Is Tony still in the director's office?"

"No. He went into MTAC. He's a little afraid, I think," said Fornell."

"He saw Kate?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll talk to him. Gibbs and the director want you to interrogate Kate."

"I'm heading there now." Fornell didn't bother with a goodbye, he just headed down the rest of the stairs and to the interrogation room.

McGee waited until Fornell was gone to sigh, but then he quickly entered MTAC and found Tony sitting in the back row.

"Hey, Tony," said McGee softly. "Do you feel like going for coffee and donuts with me?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm good in here."

"Alright." McGee sat down and looked at the screen ahead of them. "What's happening on there?"

"Not sure. I think it's somewhere in Afghanistan or somewhere near there."

"Is it our case?"

"No. It belongs to Agent Sparta's team."

"Why are you watching it then?"

"I'm not. I was just staring at the screen."

"Are you thinking about something?"

"Yeah. But, I don't want to talk about it. Not yet."

McGee nodded. "Whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen."

"Thank you, Tim."


	28. Kate's Statement part 1

Gibbs was so pissed with Kate, and he wanted nothing more than to interrogate her himself, but he was also intrigued as to why she had turned herself in. He knew he couldn't risk jeopardising the case against her, so, against his wishes, he chose to stay in the observation room and let Fornell take control of the situation.

"Gibbs? How nice of you to wait in here," said Fornell sarcastically. "You can join me if you like."

"If I go in there, I might do something I shouldn't. I won't do anything to ruin the case if it goes to court. Tony needs that closure."

"If you change your mind, you can come in." Fornell stepped out and appeared in the interrogation room a moment later.

Gibbs sighed, but he was glad that it was Fornell taking control and not some agent from the FBI that didn't know Tony. Even without knowing Tony's history, Fornell was always protecting him, though it was obvious that he didn't really like Tony that much.

* * *

Fornell calmly took a seat across from Kate. He looked at her curiously for a moment, then opened his file and started his questioning.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"To confess."

"Confess what?"

"That I was the one that caused Tony to be injured as severely as he was."

"And why are you making this confession?"

"Because I did the wrong thing. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I did, and I know that I need to pay for it."

"Why did you hurt Agent DiNozzo?"

"I don't know. I was angry with him, but, honestly, when I think about it, I didn't have a reason to be angry. I acted without thinking at the time."

"Have you been taking drugs?" Fornell asked, changing the subject.

"Not willingly. I didn't know I was drugged until yesterday."

"Are you on drugs now?"

"No. They've worn off, although the CIA agent that drugged me thinks that it's still in my system."

"Why did you come to NCIS then? Did you come to hurt Agent DiNozzo a second time?"

"I told the agent that I was going to hurt Tony, but it was only so that he would let me go. I knew the drugs had worn off, and I wanted to take the opportunity to turn myself in."

"How did you know the drugs had worn off?"

"I'm not angry anymore. I only start feeling angry when I've been drugged."

"Who is this agent?"

"His name is Charles Thomas. He works for the CIA, as an undercover operative most of the time."

"How did you meet him?"

"He came to me about three months ago and said that the CIA wanted to offer me a job. I declined at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted the job. I was grateful for getting into NCIS, but the Navy is not where I want to be forever. I called him maybe a month later and asked if the offer was still there. He said I could start when I was ready, so I took a day off and did my interview. A few days later, he called and said I got the job and they wanted me to start right away."

"What was your first case meant to be?"

"They wanted me to spy on an NCIS agent. They told me that the agent had been committing crimes and they need to put an end to it, so I agreed to work the case before I left NCIS. I wasn't expecting them to tell me that they were investigating Tony."

"Why didn't you say anything to anyone?"

"I told the SECNAV."

"Your godfather."

"Yes."

"What did he tell you to do?"

"He said to work the case and not mention it to anyone else. He's my godfather, so there's no reason for me to not trust him. I did what he told me."

"You worked with Agent DiNozzo before this. Why did you believe the CIA over what you knew?"

"I was annoyed with Tony at the time. It just seemed possible that he would do something like their accusations."

"What were these accusations?"

"Stealing money from federal reserves."

"And you thought it was true? Despite the fact that you know how he lives?"

"It was stupid, I know that. I just wanted him to be in trouble for something."

"Does anyone other than your godfather and the CIA know about this?"

"No."

"What made you think of hurting Agent DiNozzo?"

"I don't know. It was just this idea that popped into my head."

"And you thought it was a good idea?"

"I did. I was so angry with Tony that hurting him seemed like the best way to end the problem. It never really occurred to me that I was being played."

"Did you feel remorse after you hurt him?

"Not until the drugs and anger wore off. By then, I was in Gitmo."

"Why did you wait this long to come in?"

"I don't know. I knew that I was in trouble anyway, so I figured that when someone came to question me, I'd own up to my mistakes."

"Did anyone come and see you?"

"Just Agent Thomas. I was waiting for Gibbs to come out, honestly."

"Did you know how much damage you caused to Agent DiNozzo?"

"Not until Agent Thomas congratulated me on it. He told me that Tony was in a coma and that it looked like he would die. I don't want him dead."

"Did you know that Agent DiNozzo could have permanent brain damage from the injuries you caused?"

"No." Kate dropped her eyes. "I swear that I never wanted to hurt him. Not like that. I would never put a person in the hospital, even if it was my worst enemy. You have to tell Tony that. Or, you have to let me apologise to Tony."


	29. Kate's Statement part 2

Gibbs was fuming. He understood that Kate had been drugged, and that wasn't what was angering him. What made him so angry was the fact that Kate thought she could just apologise to Tony and everything would somehow resolve itself. That wasn't how it worked. Tony had already been traumatised enough because of her actions, and there was no way that Gibbs would allow Kate to go anywhere near Tony. Then there was CIA Agent Thomas- all of this was his fault. How dare the CIA and SECNAV make it out that Tony would steal anything, let alone money? And how the hell did they think they would get away with it? And why did they decide to pick on Tony? Was there something they didn't know yet?

"Gibbs? Are you listening to me?" Fornell demanded.

Gibbs took a deep breath before turning to his friend. He didn't want to take out his anger on Fornell.

"Yeah, Tobias, I'm listening."

"Do you want me to get DiNutso down here? Or would you prefer to give him the message yourself?"

"She's not to talk to him, Tobias. She's done enough damage."

"Agreed. So, what do you want to do?"

Gibbs sighed. "I suppose I'll give him the message. I don't want him to see her or talk to her."

"It's too late. He saw her already. McGee is with him in MTAC right now."

Gibbs groaned. "Alright. You do whatever you need to do in there. I'm going to find my agent and make sure he's okay."

Gibbs stormed out of the room, almost running to get to Tony and do damage control.

* * *

Tony laughed a little at McGee's joke. It was funny, but the joke was at Gibbs' expense, and Tony knew all too well that a joke about Gibbs never led to anything good. So he was being as quiet as possible, just in case Fornell had told Gibbs where he was and Gibbs was on the way.

"Tim, you need to stop now," said Tony when he finally stopped laughing. "Gibbs is going to walk in and catch you any minute now."

"Gibbs is going to catch him doing what, Tony?" Gibbs asked as he walked down the ramp and into their view.

"Uh, nothing, Gibbs," said Tony quickly. "Did you talk to Fornell?"

"Yes. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. McGee and I are having some fun in here."

"Good. But, we do have a new case, and the both of you are coming with me to the scene." Gibbs had gotten a phone call just as he was about to enter MTAC. "Dead petty officer in Anacostia."

* * *

Fornell took a deep breath before re-entering the interrogation room. He had some more questions for Kate, and he was glad that Gibbs had gone to find Tony. He didn't want his friend to hear the next part of the questioning- it would only serve to make him angrier.

"Ms Todd, can you tell me who gave the CIA and the SECNAV this information on Agent DiNozzo?" Fornell asked as he sat down again.

"Not for sure, but I have some suspicions," said Kate.

"Tell me."

"I saw Agent Thomas talking to an older man about a week before I hurt Tony. I asked about him, got a reply that made no sense, so I started digging. The guy is Anthony DiNozzo, Senior. Tony's father. I thought it was odd that the CIA would be talking to Tony's dad, so I kept digging."

"What did you find?"

Kate hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Fornell what she had found, but she was worried about what Tony would do if he found out.

"Ms Todd?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you that until I know for sure that Tony won't find out about this. It'll destroy him, and I'm sure that I've already caused enough pain to him."

"Agent DiNozzo is currently occupied. Tell me what you found."

"Okay… Tony's father was broke a month ago. Then, a week before I hurt Tony, he got a large cash deposit into his bank account."

"How large?"

"Half a million dollars."

"Do you know where it came from?"

"As far as I could tell, it was from an anonymous source. I asked a friend of mine that's good with computers, and he hacked into it. It came from the CIA."

"Okay. I'll look into that. What can you tell me about Agent Thomas?"

"He's a jerk. But he's smart and resourceful. He'll be hard to catch."

"Where can I find him?"

"Probably at his safe house. He's waiting for me to return and tell him Tony is dead."

"Give me an address, and you better not be lying to me."

Kate quickly scribbled an address onto some paper. "If he isn't there, he'll be at work."

Fornell stood up and left the room. He made it out of the building before he let his anger take control of him again. He kicked a stone planter in frustration, then took a breath and calmed down. His foot was now sore, but he didn't care. The kick had worked- he wasn't so angry now.

"Agent Fornell, would you like me to loan some agents to help you?" Morrow asked him a moment later.

"No, it's fine. But, could you call the IRS and send them after DiNutso's father?"

"Of course I can. Are you alright? I know you don't really like Tony all that much, but you seem quite angry about all of this."

"Just because I don't like him, it doesn't mean he deserves what he has gone through. Nobody deserves that. And, I think you should probably make a call to the joint chiefs and deal with your boss before this gets any worse."

"I already called, just waiting for a reply." Morrow smiled. "Thank you for taking this case, Agent Fornell."


	30. Contact

Fornell had contacted his boss and gotten permission to work from a desk at NCIS for the duration of his case. Then he had called the CIA and asked about Agent Thomas, pretending that he was needed to consult on a case. The person he had spoken to had put him through to the agent in question, and that was who Fornell was now speaking to.

"Agent Thomas, I'm currently investigating a case that involves an NCIS agent and a former employee of NCIS. During my investigation, your name came up as someone to contact. I was hoping that you could help me make sense of some of the evidence I have here."

"What case is this, Agent Fornell? I don't have any open cases involving NCIS right now," said Thomas.

"Uh, give me a second and I'll get you the case number." Fornell knew that it wouldn't come up in the CIA's case list, and he was counting on the agent's curiousity being peaked by it. "Case number is 185-2003."

"One moment." Fornell could hear the agent typing on his computer. "I'm sorry, but that case isn't registered on our system. But, I am interested in finding out more. What's the case about?"

"The former NCIS employee is on the run after escaping from prison. She is to be charged with assaulting a federal agent as well as a couple of other charges."

"I think I have heard of that case, but I'm not sure that it's got anything to do with the CIA. What can I help you with?"

"Well, I do have evidence with me, but you'll have to come down to NCIS and look at it. I'm swamped with this case and another six to boot. I can't get to you anytime soon, and I really could use the help."

There was silence for a couple of minutes, but then Thomas said, "sure. I can be at NCIS within the hour, if that's okay?"

"That would be perfect. Thank you, Agent Thomas." Fornell smiled evilly as he hung up the phone. "I've got you now," he said as he collected up the fake evidence that Abby had so willingly provided for him.

* * *

Gibbs was relieved to have a new case to work on. Tony and McGee were distracted, no longer thinking about Kate and everything she had done in the last month or so. The amount of evidence alone was enough to keep them busy. Add to that the witness statements, canvassing the area for more evidence and witnesses, and it made for a long case that would take up the next several days. It would hopefully keep them busy enough to avoid trying to check in with Fornell.

"Boss?" McGee called. "Boss, we got something."

"What did you find, McGee?" Gibbs asked as he joined his two agents.

"Tony found it, but he said that he was unsure if it meant anything. I offered to tell you."

Gibbs smiled. "That's nice of you, Tim. Thank you for looking out for your partner."

McGee nodded. "It's a piece of paper. It kind of looks like it had writing on it, but we can't be sure. Should we send it to Abby?"

Gibbs took the evidence bag with the paper in it and looked at the paper for a couple of minutes. "Give it to Abby, but if she doesn't get anything from it, don't worry." Gibbs turned to Tony. "You did good, Tony. Next time, even if you're unsure, just bag it and take it back to NCIS. It's better to take things that don't mean anything than to leave evidence behind."

Tony smiled a little. "Thank you, boss. Thanks McGee."

"Anytime, Tony," replied McGee with a smile of his own. "Boss, we're done here, is there anything else you want us to do?"

"Keep searching the area, just in case. I'm going to canvass the area, then we'll head back to work."

* * *

Fornell looked up when an NCIS agent stepped into his sunlight.

"Can I help you?" Fornell asked the agent.

"This is CIA Agent Thomas. He says he's here to see you?"

"He is. Thank you. Agent Thomas, thank you for coming. If you'll follow me, I'll show you the evidence."

"Sure. Lead the way."

Fornell smiled gratefully as he led the CIA agent down to Abby's lab. "The evidence is damning, to say the least, but I can't understand where it fits. I really hope you can help me."


	31. Under Arrest

"I'll give it a shot. Have you been able to get any information on the missing former agent?" asked Agent Thomas as they entered Abby's lab.

"No. She's pretty good at hiding. It'll be hard to find her. I guess I was hoping you would see something I didn't in the evidence that could help us to find her."

Thomas nodded. He picked up the first piece of 'evidence'- a fake newspaper article that detailed Kate's looks and asked for the public's help in locating her. He sighed quietly, then nodded again. "I've worked with her before. Maybe a few months ago? She seemed really kind to me."

"Kind isn't what I would use to describe that woman. Not after seeing the medical report stating the injured agent's injuries and complications." Fornell gave a fake sigh. "She's a danger to the public, especially since we don't know what pushed her to hurt a teammate."

"She injured a teammate?" Thomas asked with a little too much glee hidden inside his fake incredulity.

"She did."

A grin slowly spread across the CIA agent's face. "She did good, then," he said, before realising that he had just made a grave mistake.

"Did good?" Fornell asked. "And what would she have done that was so good?"

"Uh… nothing…"

"Don't lie to me. I know you put Ms Todd up to this. We have a full, signed confession from her that details everything from the moment you met her. We have enough to charge you with. Is there anything you want to say before I read you your rights?"

Thomas paled. "It wasn't my call…" he lamely tried to defend with.

"Yet, you're the one taking the fall here." Fornell pulled out his handcuffs. "You're under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

* * *

Tony was exhausted by the time he and the team headed back to NCIS. They had been at the crime scene for the better part of four hours, collecting evidence and taking statements. They were all hungry, tired, and cold.

"Tim, Tony, go home," said Gibbs. "You can write your reports tomorrow."

McGee nodded. "Thank you, boss," he said as he gathered his belongings.

"Tony, you too." Gibbs stepped up to his senior agent's desk.

"I can't do my report tomorrow," said Tony quietly.

"Why not?"

"I might not remember what happened today…"

"Yes, you will. Your memory is fine, Tony. I know it seems like it isn't, but I promise that you aren't having memory problems."

"Then why don't I remember things?"

"Because you think you can't. Trust me, these problems will disappear as soon as you start trusting yourself again. Let's go home." Gibbs waited for Tony to look at him. "If you really can't remember, I'll help you. But I think you will be fine on your own."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Let's go." Gibbs started walking to the elevator, then looked back to find Tony following him.

* * *

Fornell was very glad that he had managed to catch Agent Thomas. It hadn't been easy to lie about Kate being on the run, but he was glad that he had pulled it off. Tony wasn't in as much danger now, with both Thomas and Kate in custody.

"Agent Fornell, thank you for getting that jerk," said Abby once an NCIS agent had hauled Thomas to an interrogation room. "My Tony is safe now."

"DiNutso and I may not get along, Ms Sciuto, but I won't let him get hurt," said Fornell. "However, DiNutso may still be in danger if Agent Thomas is telling the truth about this not being his call."

"He's not going to tell you anything."

"He will. Because, if he chooses to clam up, I'll let a very angry Gibbs interrogate him."

Abby laughed. "I'd pay to see that. Gibbs will kill him for doing this to Tony."

"Yes, he will. And, there will be no evidence of it either."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Abby smiled sadly. "I'm going home now. Are you going to interrogate the jerk tonight?"

"I am. I'll get Gibbs in there tomorrow if I need him."

"Okay. Good night, Agent Fornell." Abby waved goodbye as she left her lab with the intention of going straight Gibbs' place to spend the rest of the night with Tony.

* * *

"Gibbs? Are you home?" Abby called as she entered her boss' house. "Is Tony here too?"

"I'm downstairs, Abbs. Tony's sleeping…" said Gibbs.

"I'm awake." Tony yawned and made his way over to Abby. "Hi, Abbs."

"TONY!" Abby threw her arms around her best friend and held him tightly.

"Abby… Can't breathe…" said Tony.

"Oops, sorry." Abby let go and smiled. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, but that's okay. I shouldn't sleep on the couch."

"Go upstairs, Tony," said Gibbs softly as he appeared at the top of the basement staircase. "Abby can stay with me for a while."

"Thank you, Gibbs." Tony kissed Abby's cheek and headed up to his bedroom.

"I wanted to spend time with Tony," said Abby once her friend was gone.

"Tomorrow, Abby. He needs to sleep if he's ever going to be back to the Tony we know. And I need him to be good to go in the morning- he needs to remember that he's fine and that he doesn't actually have any problems with his memory." Gibbs smiled. "Thank you for looking out for him, Abby."

"I love Tony, so I'll always look out for him. You know that, Gibbs."


	32. Getting Better, Finally

The following morning saw Tony up earlier than usual. Tony climbed out of his bed- the one that Gibbs had made for him- and tiptoed out of his room- again, the one Gibbs had decorated and turned into a giant movie for him. He quietly went down the stairs and started the coffee pot for Gibbs. He wanted to make breakfast for the three of them before work that day- hopefully without waking anyone up until he was finished…

"Morning, Tony," said Gibbs as he walked into the kitchen.

"I wanted to make you breakfast. Can you go back to bed?" Tony pouted.

Gibbs chuckled. "No can do, bud. I'll let you make breakfast, though. How are you this morning?"

"Good. You were right yesterday. I still remember what I need to put in my report. It's strange, Gibbs. Last night, I was convinced that I wasn't going to remember anything. But, this morning, I woke up feeling like myself again. I don't know what happened."

"You trust yourself again. Good. I'm relieved. Our Tony is back," said Gibbs with a smile.

"Does that mean you won't be nice anymore?"

"I'll be nice, pal. Oh… that reminds me. Yesterday, Morrow called. He said that he has two agents available for our team, but we need to interview them. We can do it when we get to work."

"What about our case?"

"By the time they arrive, we'll be done. One is coming from FLETC, and the other is currently in Virginia."

"Are we going to interview them at the same time?"

"Yes. It'll be a sort of group interview, I guess. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You're going to help me interview them. It's time for you to try out being the leader, Tony. You've certainly earned it."

Tony smiled. "Thank you, Gibbs! Yes, I think I can do it. I want to do it."

Gibbs smiled at Tony's enthusiasm, silent thanking whatever or whomever had given Tony his confidence back.

* * *

Work was different that morning. Tony's happiness was infectious as the three agents wrote out their reports from the previous evening's work. Fornell was upstairs, talking to the director about something that had happened the night before, and he hadn't bothered the team yet. Abby had agreed to spend the day in her lab, working on cases she had waiting, so Tony was free to concentrate- although he didn't know that Gibbs had made that deal with Abby.

"Gibbs? I'm done," said Tony. He dropped his report onto Gibbs' desk. "I don't think I missed anything in it, by the way."

"Good. I know you do a good job on your reports. I don't need to read it. Do I?" asked Gibbs.

"Nope. Well, yeah, you do have to, but not to check it."

"That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Tony. Why don't you go and check on Ducky while we finish up here? I'll call you up to the conference room when it's time to do the interviews."

Tony smiled and nodded. He was happy, and now he wanted to share that happiness with Ducky and Gerald downstairs if he could.

* * *

Tony grinned widely when he stepped into autopsy and found Ducky alone. Not wishing to scare his friend, Tony cleared his throat loudly and waited for Ducky to turn around before speaking.

"Hey, Duck," he said cheerfully.

"Ah, Anthony. It is certainly nice to see you in such good spirits. May I ask what has happened?" Ducky said kindly.

"Nothing happened. I just feel a lot better. Gibbs asked me to come and see if you had anything for us."

"I do not have anything, dear boy. But, you are welcome to stay a while. Would you like a cup of tea while you're here?"

"Sure." Tony joined Ducky at his desk, still smiling. "Can you tell me a story?"

Ducky smiled. He always enjoyed recounting his stories, but Tony took that enjoyment to the next level- he actually listened and wanted to hear the endings. "Of course, Anthony. What would you like to hear about?"

"Have you ever been to Australia?"

"I have."

"Tell me about that. I want to go there one day."

Ducky nodded. He took a sip of his tea before speaking. "I was just finished with my first tour in the army's medical unit," he began. "I had been given two months of leave, and I had caught the travel bug, so I chose a country far from England. Australia seemed like the best option, so that's where I went. And I was glad for it. The locals were very welcoming and more than happy to meet English folks. They welcomed me wherever I went- and I went to a lot of places. But, my favourite, by far, was Melbourne. Victoria, as a state, is amazing, but the city of Melbourne is divine. They are the food capital of the world, and it was clear even then that they would make something amazing of that city. The restaurants and cafes are delightful. The bars were interesting. My hotel was spectacular…"

Tony smiled as he continued to listen to Ducky. Melbourne was sounding like the place to be the more Ducky spoke about it, and it was certainly a good distraction from his current reality.

* * *

Gibbs watched from outside the doors to autopsy. He could see how happy Tony was, listening to Ducky tell some story. Personally, Gibbs didn't like listening to them, but he knew that Tony did, and he hated interrupting something that made Tony smile. Gibbs had considered leaving Tony to listen to Ducky while he conducted the job interviews, but Tony had been so excited that morning, and Gibbs didn't want to ruin his excitement. In the end, Gibbs had chosen to allow Tony to decide what to do, which was why he was still outside autopsy, waiting for a break in the story to enter.


	33. New Agents

"Tony, are you still interested in helping me with these interviews?" Gibbs asked.

A wide grin spread across Tony's face. "Of course, Gibbs!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat. "Ducky, I have to go. But, I'll come back when I'm done. I want to listen to the rest of your vacation in Australia."

"Okay, my dear boy. Take as much time as you need." Ducky smiled at him. "I shall be here when you get back."

"Thanks, Duck." Tony eagerly followed Gibbs out to the elevator.

Once the elevator moved from the floor, Gibbs pulled the emergency switch and stopped the car. He turned to Tony, feeling bad about having to explain what he was about to do.

"Is something wrong, boss?" Tony asked when Gibbs still hadn't spoken.

"Tony… I don't mind you helping with these interviews, but…"

"But, what?"

"Tony, if I choose to hire one of these agents… you understand that I will have to explain what happened with Kate? And I'll have to fill them in on your trust issues. Are you going to be able to sit through that?"

Tony's smile faded a little, but he nodded. "I understand, Gibbs." Tony smiled again. "Do I get to have a say in whether you hire them?"

"You do."

"Good. Let's go, Gibbs!" Tony grinned again, his happiness not dimmed in the least.

* * *

Tony could feel butterflies fluttering around in his stomach as he took a seat next to his boss, across the conference table from the two potential agents. He was nervous about discussing his trust problems so openly, even though everyone except the two agents in the room already knew about them. It just didn't seem right to him. What if they used the information to hurt him too? He wouldn't be able to handle that. But Gibbs had told McGee, and McGee cared about him still. Maybe he could work with these people still?

"Gibbs, Tony, this is Samuel Thomas," said Morrow as he pointed out the man on the left, "and this is…"

"Tessa?" asked Tony suddenly. "Is that you?"

"Hi, Tony," smiled the woman that was sitting next to Samuel. "How have you been?"

"You know this lady, Tony?" Gibbs asked in surprise.

"Yeah. We went to the same boarding school for a while," said Tony with a grin. "She was my partner in crime."

"That's just great," groaned Gibbs.

"Don't worry, Gibbs, we can work together well."

"I don't doubt that… I just think that the two of you will give me such headaches…"

"Tessa is funny, Gibbs. You'll like her a lot."

"I'm thinking that I might regret putting the two of you together, but…"

"But what?" asked Morrow.

"Let's give this a try. Tony feels comfortable with Tessa, so they should be okay together."

"Fine. Tessa can join you from tomorrow. Do you want another agent?"

"Why not? Mr Thomas, are you already an agent?"

Samuel shook his head. "No, Agent Gibbs. I've just finished going through FLETC a couple of days ago."

"Okay. What have you been doing since then?"

"I've been training with a team in this building."

"If I hire you, I want you to understand that I have my own style of training."

"I understand. I would expect that there would be extra training involved."

"Good. You're new to the job, and normally I wouldn't hire new agents for my team since we are the MCRT, but I think I could make an exception… After you do a few days on the team, anyway."

"I think that would be great, Agent Gibbs."

"Alright. Tom, I'll take Agent Thomas as well, but I want to try him out first."

"Fine by me, Gibbs," said Morrow.

"What do you think, Tony?"

Tony smiled. "Okay. I'm happy with the decision."

"Is that because I let you have your friend on the team?" Gibbs asked, amused.

"Not at all," grinned Tony, "though that does make this easier."

* * *

"McGee, this is Agent Wandan," said Gibbs, indicating Tessa, "and this is Agent Thomas." He indicated Samuel. "They'll be joining us for the rest of the week as a trial. After that, I'll be deciding who, if any, will be joining our team."

"Alright, boss." McGee gave the two agents a smile. "We got a case while you were upstairs with the director. A dead marine in Anacostia."

"Okay. Grab your gear and let's go." Gibbs pointed to the two new agents. "There is a pack underneath that desk," he said, pointing to the desk Kate had once occupied, "one of you can grab that. The other one can use the spare pack in the truck for today."

The two agents nodded. Tessa pulled the backpack from underneath the desk, then turned to Tony.

"What does 'grab your gear' mean?" she asked in a whisper as they walked to the elevator.

"Get your backpack and weapon," answered Tony.

"Is he as scary as everyone says he is?"

"No. Gibbs is a giant teddy bear."

"I heard that, DiNozzo!" called Gibbs as he stepped into the elevator. "I'm more of a grizzly bear than a teddy bear!"

"Not with me, he isn't," smiled Tony, though he chose to stand at the opposite side of the elevator anyway.

* * *

The crime scene was deserted. There were no witnesses, no onlookers. Even the police had left- except for one officer that looked like he was about to fall asleep anyway.

"Where's the dead body?" asked Tony as they stared around the small field.

"Is that it over there?" asked Samuel. He was pointing to a spot just to the right of the officer.

Gibbs frowned. "Let's go," he said, and set off towards the possible body.

The team followed Gibbs but were disappointed when they found that the body was that of a teenager, not a marine.

"What do we do now?" asked Tessa. "Shouldn't the police have been able to tell that this is a kid?"

"I get the feeling that the police around here don't care much for doing their jobs properly," said Gibbs. "I'll fix that, then we can head back. We'll do some combat training in the gym."


	34. New Teammates and Ducky's Story

Tony sighed. He had been looking forward to working on an active case. He wanted to get out of the building for a while.

"Tony? Why don't you go and visit Ducky? Maybe he can finish that story." Gibbs smiled kindly.

Tony's eyes lit up as he remembered what Ducky had been telling him earlier that day. "Good idea, boss!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and rushed off to the elevator before Gibbs could change his mind and tell him to go down to the gym with Tessa and Samuel.

* * *

"My dear boy, how did those interviews go?" Ducky asked as Tony sat down with a cup of tea.

"Great. One of the potential agents is an old friend of mine. Her name is Tessa," answered Tony.

"How long have you known this young woman?"

"Since we were thirteen. We were at the same boarding school… we were the two biggest troublemakers," laughed Tony.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"She hated it there just as much as I did."

"I got that." Ducky grinned. "Is she pretty?"

"Very." Tony shook his head. "But, that's not why I like her. In fact, I don't have feelings for her. We're friends, nothing more."

"Is she joining the team?"

"Maybe. Gibbs is giving her a trial for the week, along with a man that's probably younger than McGee."

"Are you happy with the two of them?"

"I know I can trust Tessa. She knows more about me than Gibbs does. She… er… she witnessed my father's behaviour when he came to 'visit' me at school once. After that, I told her everything." Tony shrugged. "She and I kept in touch right through college, but it was hard after that. Policing is a good way of losing all your outside contacts."

"Too right," agreed Ducky. "So, what brings you back to my world?"

Tony smiled. "Your story. You said you would finish it when I came back down here."

"Don't you have work to do?"

"Nope. We did get a case, but it definitely is not our jurisdiction. Gibbs is doing some training with Tessa and Samuel, maybe McGee."

"You don't want to join them?"

"For Gibbs' style of training? No, thank you. I'd much rather hear more about Australia."

"Very well, then. Let me see… we left off with me telling you about Melbourne, I believe?"

"Yeah. You were saying something about a spectacular hotel?"

Ducky thought for a moment, then smiled. "I did. My hotel in Melbourne was certainly spectacular. It was called the Crown, though I believe it's now expanded into a much larger hotel and has a casino attached to it, as well as restaurants. However, back when I was staying there, many years ago, the hotel was small. It was cosy, the staff were lovely and very accommodating. They made my stay very comfortable and relaxing, they gave me the best tips for everything."

"It sounds like a lovely city, Ducky."

"Melbourne is certainly a gorgeous city, Anthony. I do suggest visiting it someday."

"I think I would love to go there. I think I'm due for a vacation."

"I think you are, too. After all, I do believe that since starting at NCIS, you haven't taken any time off, other than sick leave."

"I haven't taken time off. Not even for sick leave."

"Well, my dear boy, I think it's time to go away and relax somewhere nice."

"What do you think Gibbs would say about that?" Tony laughed.

"I think that he would be happy to let you go if it means that you'll come back fully recovered and ready for action again."

"Do you think I should ask him now? Or wait until he's decided about the two new agents?"

"Let him decide first, then ask him. Or, ask now, but let him know that it won't be happening for at least a few more weeks. By the time you get your passport done and everything booked, it might even be a couple of months before you go anywhere."

Tony nodded. "Can you recommend anywhere to stay?"

"The Crown probably would be a good choice."

"I think I already know you would say that one, Duck. But, thank you, I'll keep it in mind when I make my arrangements." Tony paused a moment. "Ducky?"

"Yes, Anthony?"

"Would you be interested in coming with me?"

Ducky smiled. "Thank you, my dear boy, but no. I am quite happy with my life, I don't feel the need for a vacation. Maybe next time, though."

Tony shrugged. "Suit yourself. Maybe I'll ask Tessa to come. She would be the best travel buddy ever!"

"And if she joins the team?"

"Good point… No problem, I'll call Amelia!"

"Who is Amelia?"

"The original paramedic that helped me. She's really pretty, Ducky. And nice. And friendly. She gave me her number when I saw her at the hospital at my last check-up."

"Have you started dating?"

"No. I called her last night. We're going to go for drinks on the weekend."

"Is it not too strange to ask a woman to go on a holiday with you at this point in the relationship?"

"Maybe, but there's no harm in asking. What's the worst that can happen? She'll say no? That's alright."

"You are very trusting of this woman, Anthony."

"Well, she did look after me, Ducky. She made me feel very safe with her."

Ducky smiled. "I am well aware of that. Not only did Jethro tell me about her, but I can see how happy you are. You light up when you speak about Amelia."

Tony smiled happily. "I'm going to see how training is going. I'll call you once I know what's happening!" said Tony as he stood up and started towards the doors. "Thanks, Ducky!"


	35. Talk of a Vacation

Tony was still smiling when he walked into the bar that he was meeting Amelia at. He had spotted as he opened the door, sitting at a small table near the cosy looking fireplace at the back of the establishment. Tony stopped at the bar and picked up a menu, then headed over to the table, his smiling getting impossibly wide at the thought of their date.

"What's making you so happy?" Amelia asked playfully as Tony sat down across from her.

"Uh…" said Tony, pretending to think about the question. "You," he finally said.

Amelia smiled back. "You certainly are in a good mood today, Tony."

"Well, the prospect of having dinner with you did definitely brighten my day. Plus, to top it off, Gibbs let me help interview a couple of potential agents, one of which turned out to be a classmate and friend of mine from back in boarding school."

"A good friend? Or a mischievous friend?" asked Amelia, amused.

"Mischievous. We got up to a lot of things together and we got into a lot of trouble together, too."

Amelia laughed. "I can totally see that. Was it a girl, by any chance?"

Tony hesitated. Would Amelia get jealous if he said yes? He really liked Amelia- he didn't want to screw things up on their first date.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Amelia.

"Sorry… I just…"

"I get it. Don't worry, I'm not the jealous type. As long as you say that she's just your friend, that's good enough for me."

"You're sure?"

"Very. I have plenty of male friends that are just friends, Tony. Why shouldn't it be the same for you?"

"Thanks, Amelia," smiled Tony.

They ate in silence for the next ten minutes, then Tony gathered up his courage and got Amelia's attention.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"You can ask me anything."

"Have you ever been to Australia?"

"No. I'd like to go. Why?"

"Well, I was talking to the medical examiner at work today, and he was telling me about this time that he took a vacation down there. He said it was a lovely country. I could really use a vacation, and it does sound like a nice place. I just don't want to go alone."

"Makes sense."

"So, I was wondering… and I know we've only really just started to date and all… but I was wondering if you would like to come with me?"

Amelia was quiet for a couple of minutes, but she was smiling. It made Tony feel like she was actually considering his question, so he waited patiently for her to speak.

"You know what?" Amelia said finally. "I think that I would love to go with you, Tony. A trip sounds great, but a trip with you sounds even better."

Tony couldn't help his smile. Amelia really had made his day better. "I'm going to start organising it on the weekend, but I'm thinking that I won't be going anywhere for at least another couple of months. I need to renew my passport anyway, and I know that will take a couple of weeks."

"That's okay. It will give me time to get my own passport."

"Then we're agreed. I'll look into everything and get it organised. I'll send you all the details. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is! I trust you, Tony."

A big grin spread across Tony's face and stayed there for the rest of their date.

* * *

The following day was interesting. Tony wanted to ask Gibbs for time off so that he could start organising his trip, but every time he tried to get Gibbs alone, something interrupted them. Tony could tell that Gibbs was annoyed with the interruptions, probably because he thought that there was something wrong with Tony. It was hard for Tony not to just blurt out his request to ease his boss' mind.

"Hey, Tony," said Tessa as she approached his desk with a file. "Gibbs said that you're the senior field agent, so I should turn my reports over to you."

"Didn't you know that already?" Tony asked curiously.

"I haven't worked in a team in a long while. I got used to reporting directly to the director."

Tony looked up. "What were you doing?"

"I was undercover," smiled Tessa teasingly. "No, I won't tell you what I was doing."

"Please?"

"No. I'm not allowed to discuss it until the case is finished in court."

"Are you liking Team Gibbs?" Tony asked after a moment of pouting.

"Of course I am. I get to work with you."

"Gibbs hasn't scared you yet? I know he scared Samuel," said Tony with a small laugh.

"Gibbs is a teddy bear compared to the headmaster at that boarding school. Surely you agree with me?"

"I've never been scared of Gibbs, Tess."

"I believe that. So… tell me why you've been trying to get his attention all day."

Tony smiled. He should have known that he couldn't ever get anything past Tessa. She was far too observant. "I need to ask him something."

"What would that be?"

"A favour, I guess. Maybe more of a request than a favour, when I think about it. I'll tell you all about it once I get approval for it."

Tessa looked like she had more questions, but she nodded. "I'll hold you to that, Tony. Don't forget about this conversation, otherwise I won't ever tell you about my undercover case." She grinned.

"Like I'm going to forget. You won't let me." Tony took the file that Tessa had brought over to him. "What was this report for?"

"Gibbs wanted us to write an evaluation for his training yesterday. I figured I would ask you to check what I wrote in case he decides to kill me."

"Did you complain?"

"Not really… I suppose I was whinging more than complaining."

Tony laughed as he opened the file. "Give me fifteen minutes and then I'll let you know what I think."


	36. Vacation Plans

Tony was hysterical after reading Tessa's report. He couldn't imagine that Gibbs would be offended by it. Gibbs would probably take the remarks as glowing recommendations that he was still an excellent trainer. After all, the Marines had training worse than what Gibbs inflicted, and nobody ever complained about it.

"DiNozzo, what is so funny?" Gibbs asked, feeling somewhat amused, although he didn't know why.

"Err… nothing, boss. I was just reading something funny. Here, this report is from Tessa. She had to go and take a call, so I offered to give it to you," answered Tony. He handed the report over.

"You read it, didn't you?"

"I did."  
"Why am I not surprised that the two of you are already making my life difficult?"

"Hey, you should have known we would get up to mischief together when I told you what we were like in school."

"I did, don't you worry about that. I was hoping the two of you had grown up."

Tony grinned. "Not likely, Gibbs."

Gibbs shook his head. Dropping the file on his desk, Gibbs turned to Tony. The bullpen was currently empty, so he dropped all pretences. "Tony, is something bothering you? You've been trying to get me to talk to you all day."

"Everything's fine, boss. I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away."

"Well, I was listening to the rest of Ducky's story, and I made a decision."

"What decision?"

"I need a break. A proper break. Not sick leave. I need to take a vacation."

"About time, Tony. I've been trying to get you to do that for a while now."

"Well, Ducky was talking about a trip he once took to Australia. He said that he really enjoyed his time there. I did some research, and there's two states in the country that seem like I would have fun in them. I want to go."

"So, take some leave and go. I mean, you might have to wait a couple of months to be cleared for flying, but after that, you have plenty of leave time stored up that you can use."

"Will you approve it?"

"Straight away. And Morrow will too, I'm sure."

"Thank you." Tony smiled.

"Are you planning to go alone?"

"No. I met this woman… well, you met her, too."

"Who?"

"Remember that paramedic that came to help me when I collapsed on that coffee run?"

"Of course I do. You couldn't stop flirting with her, and you were half way to being unconscious."

"Well, we went out last night for drinks. She's really fun to be around, and she agreed to accompany me to Australia if I go."

"Good. I wouldn't want you going alone. I'd worry too much." Gibbs said that with a grin, but deep down, he really was worried. "Why don't you start planning the trip and I'll organise your leave?"

"Thanks, boss!" Tony smiled happily as he headed off to find Ducky.

* * *

"Anthony? Do we have a case?" asked Ducky when Tony stepped into Autopsy.

"No case. I just wanted to tell you something," answered Tony.

"Okay."

"I'm going to start planning a vacation. Amelia agreed to come with me to Australia, and Gibbs said he would approve my leave once I have everything worked out," said Tony excitedly.

Ducky smiled. "You must tell me what it is like when you come home. I would like to know if it is worth going back there one day."

"But, of course! I love telling you stories. You're the only one that listens to me, after all."

"I think Jethro does listen most times."

"Yeah, but you always listen."

"Just as you always listen to my stories. It is only fair to repay the favour."

Tony smiled again. "Thank you, Ducky. And thank you for giving me the idea. It really is a good one."

"Anytime, dear boy. Anytime."

* * *

Tony was exhausted by the time he got home from work. The team had decided on Chinese take-out for dinner, so he was full, but he wanted a shower and wanted to just sit down and relax before sleeping. He wanted to also try to find some flights and accommodation for his vacation to Australia before going to bed, so that he could at least give them details to Amelia the next day.

"I might do that now, actually," Tony said to himself.

Settling down on his comfortable couch, Tony powered up his laptop and began to search. He had already decided that he wouldn't be travelling around the whole country, just two states. He didn't want to take more than a month off from work, and figured that Amelia probably wouldn't be able to get more than a month anyway. It didn't take long for Tony to find a nice hotel for his first destination, and he decided that he would book the hotel then and there, just to make sure that he would get the room he wanted.

"A two bedroom apartment in a hotel? That's interesting," said Tony out loud. He clicked on the link. "Hey! That's cool! We can share a room and still have our own rooms!"

Tony smiled happily as he went through the steps to book one of the apartments. He had found the perfect place to stay, in his opinion. The place had two separate bedrooms, a small living room and a small kitchen that he could cook in. After all, two weeks was a long time to be somewhere without cooking. Feeling happy, Tony continued to search the internet, finding himself another lovely hotel room for his second destination, although this one had a single bedroom with two beds in it instead of two bedrooms.


	37. Getting Somewhere

Tony was still excited about his vacation when he woke up the next morning. He couldn't wait to go and see what was in store for him next, especially since it was going to be with Amelia. Tony jumped out of bed and grabbed his phone. He typed out a short message to Amelia:

 _I booked our flights and hotels last night. I can't wait to go! The hotels look amazing! I'll send pictures to you. We can work out some things to do together closer to the date that we leave. I'm really glad you're coming with me, Amelia._

Tony grinned to himself as he got ready for work. He had a feeling that the day was going to be a really good one.

* * *

Fornell was bristling with anger when he stepped out of the interrogation room. Agent Thomas from the CIA was arrogant and ignorant, and it was grating on his nerves that morning. Topping it off, he had heard about the two new agents on Gibbs' team, and one of them shared a last name with the smug CIA agent. Fornell hoped it was a coincidence since Thomas was a popular surname. He didn't want to tell Gibbs that the person behind Kate's actions had a family member on his team. Fornell would have to investigate that once he got the chance.

"Agent Fornell?" asked Morrow when Fornell entered the observation room. "What do you want to do?"

"Hopefully Gibbs can get this guy to talk," said Fornell. "I don't know what to do if Gibbs can't get him to admit that he put Todd up to this."

"Do you believe that he wasn't calling the shots?"

"I do. But he won't tell me who is, either, so there's nothing I can do about that. I want to find them before they can do more damage to DiNutso. Gibbs will have my head on a stick if I let anything else happen to his favourite agent."

"I'll have your head on a stick before Gibbs can get to you," said Morrow lightly, though he meant every word. Tony had certainly found a way to make the director like him.

"That I do not doubt." Fornell sighed. "Is Gibbs in yet?"

"He got here before you this morning. I think last night was the first night Tony spent alone, and Gibbs was probably worried about him. He wouldn't have gotten much sleep, if any."

"I'm going to find him and get him down here. I want this jerk in prison as soon as possible."

* * *

Gibbs frowned when Fornell stepped in front of his desk and started talking. He had been looking over some reports and didn't like being disturbed, especially when his thoughts were really on Tony.

"What, Tobias?" Gibbs growled.

"I need you to help me interrogate a CIA agent," said Fornell.

"Why?"

"He won't talk to me, and I need answers before his victim gets hurt again."

"Who is the victim?"

Fornell hesitated, unsure of whether to actually tell Gibbs or not. Finally, he said, "DiNutso. The guy in interrogation is the person responsible for drugging Todd and sending her after DiNutso in the first place. He says he was following orders, but he won't tell me who was giving him the orders. I need you to help me."

Gibbs was up in a flash, desperate for answers to give to Tony. "Take me to him," he said angrily. "Why didn't you tell me he was here before now?"

"To avoid what I'm going to allow you to do in just a few minutes."

"What's his name?"

"Charles Thomas. There's no relation to the agent on your team," said Fornell, hoping he was correct in that assumption.

Gibbs nodded wordlessly and started to follow his friend to the interrogation room. His anger at the CIA agent was boiling, but Gibbs wasn't going to let it spill over at his friend. Fornell wasn't the reason Tony was injured and still suffering the consequences.

"Are you coming in with me?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes. I can't let you kill the guy, no matter how much I want him dead."

Gibbs gave a fleeting smile and then opened the door to interrogation. He immediately felt hatred toward the man sitting in the room, but he pushed it down as far as possible to stay calm.

"Agent Thomas, do you understand why you are sitting in an NCIS interrogation room?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, and you do too. I know you aren't FBI, by the way," said Agent Thomas.

"I never said I was. Now, I believe that you told Agent Fornell that someone was putting you up to this? I checked into your finances before coming in here, and I noticed a large sum of money was deposited into your bank account the week before Agent Todd started hurting a fellow agent. Where did the money come from?" Gibbs knew he was right, though it had actually been Fornell that had found the money.


	38. A Solid Lead

Gibbs smirked when the CIA agent across from him started to speak. He was sputtering as he tried to figure out how to lie.

"Who gave you the money?" Gibbs asked again.

"Nobody. I didn't get any money…" Agent Thomas tried to lie.

"Bull! Stop lying and answer my question," Gibbs growled angrily. "My agent's life was almost ended because of you!"

"Fine! It was Anthony DiNozzo Senior! He gave me the money and a piece of paper with instructions written on it. I was supposed to follow the instructions. He wanted his son dead."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me anything else."

"How were you going to tell him when the job was done?" Fornell asked.

"I have a cell phone number. I don't know if it will actually work or not, I've never had to call it."

"Give it to us, now."

"Is anyone else trying to murder Special Agent DiNozzo?" Gibbs snarled.

"Not that I know of. I doubt it, though. Mr DiNozzo seemed like a one-man job sort of thing."

"Explain yourself."

"I mean, I don't think he would ask anyone else to do this job unless the person already doing it fails."

"What do you mean by 'fail'?"

"What do you think I mean? Anything less than death is a fail."

"Where can I find Mr DiNozzo?"

"I don't know."

Gibbs pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Call him. Tell him you need to speak to him." He threw the phone to Agent Thomas.

Agent Thomas glared at Gibbs for a moment, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. He sighed and dialled the phone number he had made himself memorise.

"This is Anthony. Who am I speaking to?" said a voice on the other end of the phone call.

"It's Agent Thomas. There's been a problem, and I need to speak to you. Can we meet somewhere?"

"Is it urgent?"

"Very much so."

"Fine. I have thirty minutes between my meetings this afternoon. We can meet at two thirty outside Denise's Café on Wilshire Boulevard."

"Thank you," said Agent Thomas with a soft sigh. He hung up. "Is that good enough for you?" he asked sarcastically.

* * *

"Tony," said Gibbs when he got back to his desk.

"Yes, boss?" asked Tony.

"I'm going to be out of the office this afternoon. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'm leaving you in charge. If you have any problems, call my cell, but ask Morrow first."

"Okay, boss. Where are you going?"

"Fornell wants my help with something. He won't tell me until I get there," lied Gibbs. He threw in an eye roll in the hopes that Tony would believe him.

"Alright. Be careful, Gibbs." Tony smiled and returned to a message he had been typing on his phone.

* * *

Two thirty came quickly. Gibbs was sitting in Fornell's car, watching as Agent Thomas spoke to Tony's father. Gibbs was desperate for information that could put the man in prison, but he was only half listening. His mind was filled with worry about what would happen if the CIA agent somehow blew things. He needed to keep Tony safe, but he didn't want Tony to know what was going on. The younger man had finally relaxed and was allowing himself to get better. He couldn't jeopardise that.

"So, you're telling me that you can't make my son's death happen?" asked Senior finally. "Why not?"

"He's protected by his boss and fellow NCIS agents. They won't leave him alone for more than half a minute," answered Agent Thomas.

"So, kill them as well. The less cops in this world, the better."

"You do know I work for the CIA, don't you?"

"If you weren't corrupt, I wouldn't have been able to get you to agree to this deal."

Gibbs felt his anger rising more, even though he had thought that was impossible.

"We got him, Gibbs," said Fornell as he prepared to open his car door. "Are you coming or not?"

Gibbs turned to his friend. "Are you sure we got it on tape? I don't want anything to ruin this."

"We've got everything we need. Let's go." With that, Fornell got out of the car and started walking towards Tony's father and Agent Thomas.

* * *

Tony grinned when he saw Tessa step out of the elevator. She looked like she was searching for someone or something, and Tony knew exactly what it was.

"He's not here, Tessa," said Tony, his amusement evident in his voice. "I'm in charge for the afternoon."

Tessa breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I haven't seen him since you handed the report over for me. How did he take it?"

"He laughed. Believe me, he took your comments as a compliment. To him, it means he still has what it takes to be tough. He likes to push people past their limits."

"He can be scary, Tony. Scarier than any headmaster I ever had."

"Maybe, but he's the best boss ever. I'm really glad I met him in Baltimore."

"I can see that. I think everyone can see that. Or maybe it's just because I know you and I know what Gibbs represents in your life."

"That has to stay between us, okay?" Tony asked, suddenly very serious.

"I understand. Nobody will hear it from me." Tessa smiled. "Hey, do you think I still have a place on this team after this week is over?"

"I don't doubt it. Gibbs likes you, I like you. That's really all Gibbs wants in his agents. Of course, it helps that you are good at the job."

"I hope you are right. I like this team, this job. NCIS is great, but I like being pushed, and Gibbs certainly does that."


	39. An Arrest

Gibbs didn't know how he was doing it, but he was somehow keeping his anger hidden. As he and Fornell reached Tony's father and the CIA agent, Gibbs noticed that DiNozzo Senior was holding something. Unsure about what it was, but certain that it was nothing good, Gibbs pulled his gun from its holster and pointed it at the two men. From the corner of his eye, Gibbs could see that Fornell had done the same, though whether that was a response to Gibbs' action or to what Tony's father was holding, he couldn't be sure. He didn't really care anyway. If he had to shoot, he would and so would Fornell. Neither of the men would be getting away with what they had done to Tony.

"Anthony DiNozzo Senior, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of your son," said Fornell calmly. "Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in court."

"I'm sorry," said DiNozzo Senior, "but I think that you are mistaken. Why would I want my son dead?"

"You can give us the answer to that question back at NCIS headquarters," snarled Gibbs. "We know you want him dead, and we have it on tape."

DiNozzo Senior turned to the CIA agent next to him. "You taped our conversation?" he growled. "I shouldn't have trusted you!"

Fornell shook his head. "There's a lot you shouldn't have done, Mr DiNozzo." He waited a moment for the older man to look at him. "What's in your hand, by the way?"

"What, this?" DiNozzo Senior asked as he threw a piece of paper at Fornell. "Find out for yourself."

Gibbs waited until both men were in cuffs and being led to separate police cars before he picked up the paper with a tissue from his pocket. He stared at the paper in shock for a moment before Fornell took it from him.

"What does it…?" Fornell started to ask. "Oh, god," he mumbled as he read the short note.

* * *

Tony laughed along with Tessa and McGee as they waited for Gibbs to come back. Tony had called him half an hour earlier to say that they had found something in a cold case that they wanted him to see, and to also tell him that Agent Thomas had decided he didn't want to work on the team. Even though Tony had liked him, he was happy that he was gone. The team was perfect with four agents.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called as the elevator opened to reveal their boss. "Need you in Morrow's office, let's go!"

Shrugging, Tony waved to his fellow agents and ran to catch up to Gibbs. "What's going on, boss?" he asked.

"Does Morrow know Thomas resigned?"

"I don't know. He didn't hand over a resignation or anything, just said he was going to see the director and tell him his thoughts."

"Well, let's go and see if he did that. And, I need to be deciding on Tessa's position in this team, too. Might as well do it all at once."

"She can stay, right? Cause I really want her to stay."

Gibbs smiled for a moment. "Of course I want her on my team. She's damn good at her job, Tony."

"I like her, I always have. She's a great friend, and she's so easy to trust. I couldn't ask for a better person on this team."

"Okay."

"She knows a lot about my past, but she's never shared it with anyone, and I like that about her."

"You trust her."

"I do."

"Would you enjoy being partnered with her?" Gibbs asked as they entered Morrow's office.

"Of course I would!" Tony said, his face lighting up.

* * *

Fornell peeked through the stairwell door and watched as Gibbs and Tony entered Morrow's office. He had no idea how Gibbs had managed to convince Tony to go up to the director's office so fast, but he was glad that it had worked. He was waiting to bring Tony's father to the interrogation room, and he and Gibbs had agreed that they would get Tony out of the room beforehand. It would be hard enough to hide the man from Gibbs' team, but at least they were smart enough to not say anything. And Tony's father didn't know them, which meant that he couldn't say or do anything that would bring Tony running to see what was happening.

"Let's go," Fornell said after another minute. He grabbed the elder DiNozzo's arm and led him through the back of the bull pen, hoping that Tony would have no reason to come anywhere near the interrogation rooms.

"Hiding from someone?" taunted DiNozzo Senior as they brisk walked through corridors.

"Keeping your son safe, actually. I won't allow you to hurt him again."

* * *

"Where were you this afternoon, Gibbs?" Tony asked as they waited for the director to get back from MTAC.

"Fornell was running down a lead on a case. He wanted me to help him, but it went nowhere. We went on a wild goose chase that just wasted time and energy," answered Gibbs, surprised at how easily the lie had come to him. "You must have had a productive afternoon. You said you got something in a cold case?"

"McGee found it, actually. He just didn't want to call you. He's scared of you, you know?"

"So I've noticed. Anyway, keep going. What did he find?"

"A piece of paper. It had an address on it. We checked it on Google, but when we saw where it was, we thought we should probably wait for you."

"Where is it?"

"Just over the border of Pennsylvania. We weren't sure what to do about it."

"You can call Pennsylvania's NCIS team and ask them to check it out when you get back to your desk, Tony," said Morrow from behind them. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem, sir," said Gibbs. "Tony informed me that Agent Thomas doesn't want to work on the MCRT. Are you aware of that?"

"I just spoke with him about it. I've transferred him to another team."

"Alright. Now, I know the week hasn't really finished yet, but I want to keep Tessa on my team. She's smart, great at the job, and fits perfectly with us. Tony really enjoys having Tessa around, which makes it easier for me. I know that I can send them into the field together and have them come back safe."

"Very well. Agent Wandan can stay on your team. Do you want anyone else?"

"Four of us should be enough."

"Great. Anything else I can help you with while you're here?"

"No, thank you." Gibbs stood, signalling for Tony to do the same. "We'll go get started on that cold case. Thank you, Director."

"Bye, Gibbs. See you, Tony."

"Bye," said Tony, giving the director one of his beaming smiles.


	40. Answers

**A/N: This is the final chapter. Thank you for sticking with me while I wrote this! I hope you all enjoyed the story. Thank you for the reviews that helped me to continue whenever I got stuck with this story.**

Fornell checked his phone while he was watching Tony's father from the observation room. He sighed in relief when he saw that Gibbs had Tony running down a lead for a cold case- at least Tony wouldn't accidentally walk in on his father being interrogated. After all, Tony would still learn about his father's involvement in his attack, but Fornell and Gibbs had agreed that they would wait until they had answers for Tony to tell him why he had been attacked.

"Agent Fornell, you have a phone call from Director Morrow," said an agent from behind him.

Fornell turned around and took the phone. "Thank you," he said before addressing the NCIS director. "Sir?"

"I heard that you have made some progress in Tony's case," said Morrow.

"If you mean finding the real culprit behind all of this, then I believe so."

"Please tell me I heard wrong? It can't be Tony's father."

"It is. We got him on tape pretty much admitting that he wants his son dead and asking why the person he hired to do it is taking so long."

"Have you interrogated him yet?"

"I'm in the observation room right now. I'm just giving him a couple of minutes to stew, then I'll be going in."

"Does Gibbs know?"

"He's distracting DiNozzo for me. I plan on bringing him down to help me in a little while. I think that he could easily let out some anger and get answers."

"That he could. I want to be there for that."

"I'll let you know when I call Gibbs. Give me about an hour."

"Take as much time as you need. I don't want anything to ruin this case."

"Understood, sir." Fornell handed the phone back to the agent behind him. "Let's see what I can get out of this guy," Fornell said to himself as he stepped out of the observation room.

* * *

"Okay, thank you, Agent Smith. Yes, I'll wait for your call. Bye," said Tony. He put his desk phone down and made a note on a pad in front of him. "Boss?"

"Yes, Tony?" asked Gibbs.

"Agent Smith is checking out the address for us. He said he'll call us when he finishes checking it out, and we can go down there if he finds anything useful."

"Good work, Tony. The ball is in their court now. Why don't you go and get some coffee? I'll answer your phone if it rings."

Tony looked up in surprise. "Thank you, boss." He stood before Gibbs could change his mind.

"In fact, why don't you take McGee and Tessa along with you? It's not like the cold cases are going anywhere."

"Sure." Tony smiled happily at Tessa. "Come on, you two. Let's go before Gibbs changes his mind and finds something for us to work on."

* * *

"So, Tony?" asked Tessa once they were seated at a table in a local café.

"Yeah?" asked Tony distractedly while he read a text from Amelia.

"When do I find out if I have a spot on the team?"

Tony put his phone in his pocket and looked up. "Actually, I already have the answer to that. Gibbs and I are agreed on the fact that you fit perfectly into this team. Gibbs told the director that he's happy to have you. So, I guess, officially… you are a part of Team Gibbs!"

A smile spread across Tessa's face. "That's great!" she exclaimed as McGee gave her a hug and Tony grinned cheekily. "We are going to have a great time! Who's my partner going to be?"

"Most of the time, me. But, occasionally, we will swap partners."

Tessa gave Tony an evil grin. "I know we're adults, but please tell me you still love to make mischief?"

"Of course I do! I may be an adult, but I'm still a lot of fun!"

"Am I allowed to join the mischief making?" McGee asked, a little shy.

"Hell yes!" said Tessa excitedly. "The more, the merrier!"

* * *

"My turn, Fornell," said Gibbs as calmly as he could once he closed the door to the interrogation room behind him. "I have a few questions for Mr DiNozzo."

DiNozzo, Senior's lawyer looked at Gibbs for a moment. "What do you want to say before I take my client home?"

"He's not going anywhere. He's under arrest for the attempted murder of a federal agent."

"You have no proof…"

"Oh, we have proof. Plenty of it," said Fornell. "Do you want to hear what we have? Because this is going to be a slam dunk in court once the judge and jury hear it."

"If you have that good of proof, why are we here?"

"I'm nice," said Fornell sarcastically. "I want to know why your client thinks it's okay to murder people, especially his own flesh and blood."

"I didn't try to kill my own son," said DiNozzo Senior.

"Then tell me why you were asking someone about how long it takes to carry out the job you gave them. It was very clear that you paid someone to have your son killed."

"Let me hear this so-called proof of yours," said the lawyer.

Gibbs looked at Fornell, who shrugged and pulled out a tape recorder.

 _"This is Agent Tobias Fornell, FBI. Today is the 10th of April, 2002. I am recording a conversation between CIA Agent Thomas and Mr Anthony DiNozzo, Senior. The time is 2.30 o'clock in the afternoon."_

 _There was silence on the tape for the next few minutes, and then:_

 _"So, you're telling me that you can't make my son's death happen?" asked Senior finally. "Why not?"_

 _"He's protected by his boss and fellow NCIS agents. They won't leave him alone for more than half a minute," answered Agent Thomas._

 _"So, kill them as well. The less cops in this world, the better."_

 _"You do know I work for the CIA, don't you?"_

 _"If you weren't corrupt, I wouldn't have been able to get you to agree to this deal."_

 _"I agreed to kill only one person, and if I had known it would be this hard, I wouldn't have let you con me into it."_

 _"You said it didn't matter how hard it is. You promised me that I would be rid of my son!"_

Fornell shook his head. "There's this note as well. Your client threw it at us when we arrested him."

Gibbs handed over an evidence bag with a piece of paper in it. "Handwriting analysis shows that this was written by your client."

The lawyer scanned the note and sighed. He turned to his client. "I can't defend you against this, Mr DiNozzo. This letter alone is damning enough to put you in prison."

"Mr DiNozzo," said Fornell, "you wanted your son dead because he has an inheritance. Why didn't you just ask him for money if you needed it? I'm sure he would have helped you out."

"No, he wouldn't have!" snarled DiNozzo Senior. "We don't talk anymore. This was my only option."

"There are so many other options that you could have chosen. Murder was not necessary. In saying that, since you did choose murder, you will be going to prison."

Fornell stood up and placed his handcuffs onto DiNozzo Senior. He led him out of the room, the lawyer following along, and left Gibbs alone.

Gibbs pulled out his cell and called his senior agent. "Tony, we need to talk," he said, somewhat sadly.

* * *

Tony wasn't sure why Gibbs suddenly needed to talk to him. Had Agent Smith called back with unpleasant news? Did he do something he wasn't aware of? Tony trusted Gibbs unconditionally, but something told him that Gibbs hadn't told him everything.

"Hey, boss? Is there a problem?" Tony asked, a little nervous about the answer.

"Come with me, Tony," said Gibbs.

Tony followed Gibbs to the conference room. He sat down at the table and waited for Gibbs to speak.

"Tony… I have some really great news for you, but I also have some bad news," began Gibbs.

"Okay…"

"Well, the good news is that we found the person responsible for your attack."

"You mean Kate?"

"No. Yes, Kate was the one that attacked you, but someone else put her up to it. We found him, and found that he was paid to have you killed."

"Did you find the one that paid him?"

"We did. That leads me to the bad news…"

"You got him, though, right?"

"We did. He's in a cell waiting for his arraignment."

"What's the bad news then?"

"Tony… It's… the person that paid for you to be killed was your father," said Gibbs finally.

Tony looked up at Gibbs, clearly shocked. His eyes were full of tears. "What?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Tony."

"Why? He… Why would he?"

Gibbs pulled a bag from his pocket and gave it to Tony. "That's why," he said quietly.

Tony wiped away a couple of tears and then looked at the paper inside the bag. "My mum left me an inheritance?" Tony asked. "That's why he wanted me dead?"

"He's broke. He wanted the money."

"I didn't even know I had this money," whispered Tony sadly. "He wanted to kill me for something I had no idea about."

"I don't know what to say, Tony…"

Tony handed the bag back to his boss and looked up, a small, crooked smile on his face. "I don't need it all. I think I know what to do with the money, but I need your help."

"Me?"

"Yes. You are more of a father than he ever was. I trust you, and you have always been there for me, Gibbs. If anyone is going to help me now, it's you."

 **The End**

 **A/N: In case anyone is wondering, the money went to help the hospital that looked after Tony during the start of this story. That avenue will be explored a little more when I post the next story in this series, which will hopefully be soon.**


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